


The Tale That Follows

by EuphoriaWriter



Series: Era of the Dragon [2]
Category: Pocket Monsters | Pokemon (Main Video Game Series), Pocket Monsters | Pokemon - All Media Types, Pocket Monsters: Sword & Shield | Pokemon Sword & Shield Versions
Genre: AU, Alternate Universe - Medieval, Eventual Smut, FTM, Galar - Freeform, Knights - Freeform, M/M, Nessa and Sonia are married, Pokemon, Pokemon Battles, Trans Character, Trans Leon, Transphobia, Vassals, Violence, all that good stuff, before pokeballs, but close enough, fixing Galar and adding things to the canon that I think should of been there tbh, kingdom - Freeform, raileon, ratings will change, slightly off canon to medieval era, slowburn, squires
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-12-28
Updated: 2020-01-14
Packaged: 2021-02-24 21:33:49
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 8
Words: 36,018
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22004779
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/EuphoriaWriter/pseuds/EuphoriaWriter
Summary: Medieval Fantasy AU"Falling stars was what the King had called them, and soon they became rare commodities to be sought out and mined for. For ten years since then I had watched the mining bring a certain kind of prosper to Galar, but with it came undesirable effects and now...Now I do not know what to think of my duties to the kingdom."Leon is the crowning champion knight of Galar, a wondrous land full of fae and tales of plenty as well as pokemon. As King Rose is initiating the tournament of champions across the region, Leon falls into a hole where he is no longer sure about the price of being loyal to the king.
Relationships: Dande | Leon/Kibana | Raihan
Series: Era of the Dragon [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1584169
Comments: 40
Kudos: 108





	1. Prologue

Leon woke up early every morning, up bright and early in his quarters, somehow five minutes away from the local corviknight visiting him and breaking into his quarters. He had learned quickly that if he did not wake up before this, the corviknight will wreck his room and try to use his long hair for nesting material. Beating the corviknight, which he did playfully call Scoundrel, to the punch he draws the window open and places his fingers into his mouth, giving a sharp whistle out to the wind towards the giant beast flapping its wings his way. Scoundrel gave out a throaty metallic screech, swooping around outside before catching the wind up and disappearing into the clouds.

Grinning, he gets ready for the day, getting his skivvies on before pulling on his tunic and light armor wear. The heavier sets were for later, he’s come to realize a long time ago that the lighter armor was more for appearance, as if Leon was not wearing them he would no longer be a knight. 

The routine in the morning consisted of him waking up the rest of the wing of Rose castle up with his jogging through the hallways before breakfast, he did laps inside on the stairwells purely for the incline. By the time he had finished and was bugging the kitchen staff and managing to smooth talk his way into getting a burlap bag of apples out of Chester, the head chef, he was outside and heading to the stables. His team was stowed away into his own stables, each head knight had their own, newby fledglings and squires shared their rooms with their pokemon. Leon missed being able to cuddle up on the belly of his charizard, he never felt as comfortable or safe when he slept with his team cozied up in his room. He didn’t care how crowded it got, sometimes he’d sneak his dragpult inside, although he knew that the rules against him having his partners in his quarters were more for hygienic reasons.

The stables became alive as Leon stepped inside and ran his hands over Haxorus’s armored arms. Every morning, like clockwork, breakfast with his pokemon before training, it was the highlight of his day before he had to go run errands or go on sweeps around Wyndon’s border. Most of the time a Bearatic would get stuck in the wall, a commonplace issue in Wyndon, not a lot of action happened around the safely cradled inner kingdom. 

It had been quiet these past few months, fall was coming in soon, there were fairs and festivals being held back home and in the towns with bountiful harvests. There was a pang of hurt that haunted over Leon’s heart though, everything recently has been reminding him of home. He longed for the times he could be back home, barefoot racing Hop down the road to Wedgehurst or being able to help his mother on the fields when it came time to till them.

But being here already inspired a lot, Galar was always a mix of nobles and the strong, being a kid, no older than ten and proving himself worthy of knighthood at a young time of his life had made other kids like him seek out more. He was glad about it really, but a good chunk of his heart still belonged in the rolling hills of Postwick, often times he would regret being trained as a knight so young, but he can’t look back on it now.

Without it he would not be able to live out his childhood dream of brandishing a shield and honing his strength with pokemon. These rare bonds and opportunities he will never regret, as long as he had his Charizard still willing to fight then that was all he needed.

* * *

Training had gone by quickly with haste, and along with it came the afternoon sun, tiding its way up high in the sky. The clouds had cleared it’s way out and a young Maiden that worked in the castle named Margery was nervously jogging towards Leon while he shared bread with his Aegislash. She had apologized and handed him a wrapped bundle of parchment and letters that he had received that afternoon. Margery was always finicky around Leon and his pokemon, something he found amusing, but understanding on, he had grown from when he was a child. A long haired dashing knight in his twenties referred to in villages os a town legend, his reputation shines too brightly for his own good. Sometimes even he was overwhelmed by it when folks in Wyndon stopped him to dote on his achievements, he was still the youngest champion from the knighthood challenge and still unbeatable in a battle.

Sometimes Leon was never sure how he himself manages to do it, right when he thinks a battle goes out of his court his team manages to swing in and pumble a win out of nowhere. Even when shaking and shouting with energy from the battles, Leon still found joy in it, every single time.

Tossing the crusts to his Seismitoad, Leon unravels the twine, the parchment and few letters came from squires he sponsored that were out doing missions all over the region, filling out reports on a wildfire in the wild area to a slight rare flood in Stown-On-Side. It was the bigger envelopes with official seals that got him more curious, especially when he saw the rose emblem imprinted in the wax. Using the edges of Charizard’s tail flame, Leon unseals the letter and opens it up, the sickly sweet scent of floral perfumes hitting his nose first. Sneezing into his elbow twice, he finally manages to read the contents.

_ Dear Leon, Champion Knight of Wyndon, House of Dande and Hero of Postwick; you are cordially invited as the guest of honor for the Champion Tournament.  _

It was short and simple, in another letter with the same seal was a letter from King Rose, Leon recognized Oleana’s handwriting, neat and perfectly pleasing to the eyes. Leon had rarely seen the King’s handwriting except for in notes he scrawled on parchment in his study whenever he was summoned. 

_ Leon, Champion Knight of Wyndon, House of Dande and Hero of Postwick; the king requests your audience in the royal study at once. _

Well that was too simple.

* * *

No matter how older Leon was or how many times he would have an audience with the king, he can never shake the pressure or nerves he felt whenever he was in King Rose’s presence. After reading the letters, he had tucked the letters away and jogged to the more well guarded wing of the castle to the royal study. The guards outside of the study announced his presence, keeping it shorter than the formalities of the letter he had received earlier. 

Leon kept his posture in check as he entered the room, it was a circular study, one fit for twelve kings, the mantle of the fireplace was carved in gold with designs of Pyroar, Raiku and Luxrays dancing along the curvature, glistening alive from the firelight. Along with the spark of the fire, bookcases towered over the entire room, tall as trees and filled with more books than the study in the Magnolia mansion. The decorative rug was stretched out over the entire room, with designs of different flocks of birdlike pokemon, the edges of the rug stopped at the giant wooden oak desk at the end of the room. Rose sat behind the desk in a grand chair, a goblet of wine next to the papers on his workspace, his Perrserker curled up next to the warm fireplace, while the king lounged back, covered in thick luscious silks and a fur trimmed tunic. Oleana was whispering something quietly and elegantly to the king before she took a step back, almost blending into the shadows. 

Leon stepped into the middle of the room before kneeling and bowing his head down, a hand over his chest firmly, “my king,” he addressed Rose, waiting for the King’s word.

It came slowly, “rise Leon,” Rose spoke, voice wet, when Leon looked up he saw the King put his goblet down. He stood up again, taking his time and making his shoulders pulled back so he can at least look dignified.

“So, you have received my letter I take it?” Rose asked, plucking the discarded quill from it’s holder on his desk and wetting it in kingdra ink. The sheen of the ink dribbled off of the quill back into the pot a few times before Rose pressed the needle tip to the parchment.

“Yes my King, I did indeed,” Leon confirmed, swallowing silently as the king refocused on the scrawl he was writing on the parchment.

He barely got a glance from Rose as he grunted and snapped his fingers back at Oleana. Oleana stepped out of the shadows again, she grabbed a letter from the top of a stack of books by the king and handed it to Leon.

“This addresses the details of the Tournament, read it,” she said, pulling back as soon as Leon had taken the letter. 

He nodded, “yes milady,” before opening the letter carefully and looking over the contents. Leon read them over a few more times before glancing up at Oleana and her critical gaze.

“These are details… For traveling festivities,” he clarified, feeling a little bit lost about all of this. These things were decided and discussed without Leon being included in the planning, but the details for this years tournament included him traveling to the other knights and lords and challenging their champions. Ongoing festivities that overlapped with other traditional festivals, he felt unsure about it altogether.

“Yes, like the details imply, now if you’re done with the impish questions, the King has work to finish,” Oleana said and that was that. Leon nodded, bowing with his hand over his chest before slipping out of the study and striding out from the wing and down into town.

* * *

Drinking was a commodity, Wyndon was lush with taverns serving different types of liquor from all over the world, so when Leon was first getting used to living in such a vagrant part of the kingdom he naturally became acquainted with the local taverns. The Garden Tavern was the one he vacated the most, mainly on account of it being a knight hotspot in the city, but also for the liquor. 

Leon drank a pint of ale before he felt something shock him on the ass. With a loud yelp and a yell building in his throat, he turned around only to find the paws of a small yamper kneading the air towards him. The yamper was soon followed by the green petticoats and the tan sleeves of a familiar coat. Sonia’s hands grabbed Leon by either side of his cheeks, pinched down hard and snapped him out of the buzz in the back of his head. Swatting the air where Sonia’s hands were he gave a short, “hey!”

Putting her hands on her hips, Sonia scowled at Leon, “don't you “hey” me, when I got to the castle I looked in every nook and cranny for you until I heard you were down at a bloody tavern!” 

Sonia’s face was almost as red as her hair, Leon felt a little guilty for ditching the rest of his duties to go out stress drinking, especially sense he did not know Sonia was dropping by. Lady Sonia was held highly as an apothecary and doctor in Galar, so she was usually busy with her own studies to spend too much time in Wyndon. But the fact that she was here meant that it was important, so Leon pinched his stomach and tried to get a little more sober.

“Sorry, I needed a moment,” he apologized sincerely, taking out a few gold coins from his pouch to pay the barmaid before getting up. Leonlet Sonia usher him out of the tavern and down the cobblestone streets. She was fretting over his clothes while her yamper tripped ove rit;s own stubby legs trying to keep up. They walked for a while until Sonia pipped up with something holding more substance.

“I got a letter about the Champion Tournament this year,” she said finally and Leon sighed out through his teeth. 

“Bugger,” he muttered under his breath before flashing a fake smile at Sonia, “did you hear that I’m the front liner too?”

Sonia pursed her lips, grabbing Leon by his arm so she can rub her palm over his bicep in a comforting manner, “yeah, that’s why I came here, we haven’t talked in a couple of months, you doing ok?”

Leon felt his shoulder shrug automatically without thinking too much about it. He was not really thinking about how this year he would have to ditch his duties to travel all over Galar, but as soon as he did, he felt a wave of exhaustion washed over him. He was not sure why, being cooped up in Wyndon all the time was not good for him, but something about this tournament was not sitting well with him. It was an intuition that could mean something, but there was no proof for him to see in it that would mean something horrible was upon them. Not yet anyways.

“The only thing I can say is I wished I was apart of the council for this one, I haven't been in my head about it that much to be honest,” he shrugged again, shaking his shoulders around this time before patting his cheeks.

“On the positive…” he trailed off, “I get to travel again,” once he focused his mind on that, Leon felt a small tingle of energy. “Haven't done that in a bloody long time you know?”

Sonia smiled a little and giggled, “yeah, just like when we were chitlin, plus you get to go kick your great rival’s teeth in again,” she exasperated a little, knowing how much Leon was not super into the self appointed rivalry.

“Oh yes, the great rivalry, how can I ever forget,” he said sarcastically.

Sonia elbowed him a little, “you love Raihan, you two are as right as rain, and I have a suspicion that you haven’t been leaving Wyndon as much to go visit the little bastard.”

Leon laughed, full and bright, “well yeah, I have my duties and he has his, we send letters, don't go worrying about my social life now Sonia.”

“I worry because I care Leon.”

* * *

Sonia had spent the later periods of the afternoon with Leon, she may not of been one who battles with pokemon anymore, but she had new inputs to give on Leon’s training regime. They had supper together when Leon finished up the last of his duties and Sonia pecked Leon on the cheek before bidding him farewell. Once everyone was settled down and Leon had gotten a proper bath to scrub the grime off of himself he clamoured into bed and stared up at his ceiling.

His head was swirling, he was trying to settle his head down, there were a lot of positives he wanted to focus on for this year's tournament, but the nagging in the back of his head kept telling him something else. 

Closing his eyes, Leon took a deep breath, it will be just like the last few years, just a little different. He let his mind wander back and forth, thinking about being able to see the other knights, vassals and nobles he befriended over the years and eventually drifted to sleep with the pleasant thought.


	2. Opening

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Opening ceremonies begin!!!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hahahah I get to change the canon up for this, yes I'm aware Leon's Charizard is a "boy", but fuck that! So basically I made a change there because I like the concept of Leon's team having a majority of females. I know its a small change, but tbh just go with it.

Wyndon was alive and crackling with energy, bolting about a new kind of aura that made Leon feel like he was made of electricity. Opening ceremonies started today on the evening, but there were more than plenty of people and pokemon that had flooded in the streets for the events. It had been a month since the announcement of the new champion tournament and it’s festivities. The kingdom was buzzing about it, the taverns Leon attended were soon full of wandering and pestering comments or questions from locals that were excited to see him battle in a stadium again.

Most of the time he had to hide his violet hair in hoods if he didn’t want too much attention, and although he basked in a good amount of it, Leon had to keep a distance. Once he fights in a stadium again it gets so easy to follow the flow of the crowd and forget his own voice, everything is amplified and all the attention is on him, his pokemon and his opponents. He wants to honor them and show respect to his opponents and their pokemon by keeping his head on straight.

Leon was not aware of his mother and Hop visiting Wyndon until a shorter body had piled drived into his side and he was swinging around with his brother, holding him up under his armpits like he used to when Hop was a toddler. Hop’s face turned red and Leon set him down, smiling and grabbing his younger brother in for a hug. His mother was slowly walking over towards them, her face tired and aged nicely in her older years, Leon gladly hugged his mother and breathed in, she always smelled like home.

When he pulled away from his mother she smiled and caressed the side of her son’s face, patting his cheek firmly, “were you not expecting us to come up for this one dear?”

Leon grinned, “no, I’d expect Hop to turn around and complain about the frostbite _biting_ him in the arse,” as he said this he grabbed Hop again and got him into a headlock.

Hop struggled and pounded his feet to stomp on Leon’s, “oh bugger _off_!” Hop laughed as Leon let go of him and his mother gave a disappointing look at the display, rustling up Hop’s hair with careful hands.

Ever since Leon was away the farm that his family worked on had gotten more attention, he would send coin to his mother so she can hire local help when her hands began to grow more brittle. Hop and his wooloo were good help, but without Leon’s physical presences the farm lacked the work. According to the letters his mother sent a local kid and a few other farm hands were helping them with the harvests and tilling, he was glad that he was able to still help in some way by sending money back home. 

Leon gladly offered his arm to his mother and showed her and Hop around the palace, it was rightly busy right now with servants preparing the castle or taking out items from the vaults for the stadium. Eventually Leon had left his mother and Hop in the kitchen with Chester when Margery called him to come to the gate to welcome the champions this year. Leon was still not told about the details with the champions, most knights, vassals and nobles either chose a champion for these events or more frequently than not, they would show up as their manors champion.

Kissing his mother on her cheek, he smoothed out his tunic and followed Margery out of the kitchen. They strode through the hallways and the grand ballroom where it was being decorated for the champion’s ball after the ceremonies. King Rose was nothing but lavish, pulling all the stops every time there was an event to be planned, and Leon knew that he wu=ould be decorated head to toe later with his pokemon to be presentable for the opening ceremonies and the ball. Right now though he was decked in casual more flowing clothing, the leather armor and straps from his tunic kept everything together, including his flowing short cloak with beartic fur lining the hood. A warm outfit for the oncoming fall, but he knew it would not please the King, but for right now he had no say in what he wore while greeting in the champions.

The doors were drawn open and Leon was lead out by Margery into the foyer where he can see caravans outside being pulled up. There were many pokemon outside as the beast masters handled them and coaxing the creatures into the free roaming stables. 

Margery had fixed the straps on his tunic that crossed over his chest and dusted him off before Leon stepped outside, feeling the cooling wind flap up his cloak. Outside was hectic, caravans were being unpacked and Leon spotted the platinum hair of Melony instructing palace staff on how to handle her luggage while her son Gordie was chatting up Bea. A loud cacophonous yell shouted when Leon stepped down into the area, he can already tell who was shouting when he met bright glacial eyes. 

Leon could not help the smile that curled up on his face, flashing all his white teeth as he walked over to where Raihan was perched by his caravan petting the Sliggoo that pulled his caravan. He forced himself to pace as he got closer to Raihan, the Hammerlocke knight was wearing a thick blue cloak over his light armor, sword sheathed in the black and brass holster with the Hammerlocke symbol of the dragons. His black leather gauntlets were shiny with frost and Leon could smell the fjord on him, like he had brought the icy winds and fresh driven snow.

“Oy, you going to keep staring?” Raihan spoke up, his canines shining at him cheekily and Leon let out a brass laugh. Leon reached out and they grappled hands by the forearm and pulled in for a quick hug and firm pat on the back.

“Didn’t think you would make it,” Leon said, placing his hands on his hips as he looked over that knight again, “you always like keeping me in suspense.”

“Oh get off it,” Raihan chuckled and punched Leon playfully in the arm, “you know I would never squander the chance at dethroning you in front of the whole kingdom, what kind of man do you think I am?”

The sliggoo behind Raihan gave an encouraging and agreeing thump of it’s legs, making Leon and Raihan laugh at the pokemon’s commenting on the conversation. Raihan was someone Leon had known for a long time, the man had come so far since their days during the first champion challenge. When they were only children Leon had towered over Raihan, despite the dragon master being a year older. As they got older though, Raihan had shot up past Leon in height, a fact Leon didn’t mind one bit, there was something deep in him that liked that Raihan was taller than him. A part of him he never dared explore or look at too long, a part that started to panic when an applin perched itself onto Raihan’s shoulder.

“Now who’s _this_ fellow?” Leon asked, offering his hand towards the pokemon, letting it check out his hand before touching it carefully. Applin were cowardly and shy in nature, but this one was more brave and cooe’d inside it’s apple, tail squirming around along Raihahn’s cloak.

Raihan gave Leon a funny look for a moment before shaking his head, “figure you forget about this lad, has Wyndon filled your head with rocks?” 

Leon scoffed, a little surprised and confused, “what do you mean?”

He was interrupted though by someone tugging on his cloak, turning around Leon was greeted by Allister and the young noble’s hollow mask. Bright amethyst eyes peered up at him as a small voice spoke.

“‘Ello Leon, it’s...good to see you again,” Allister paused carefully, he was always such a soft spoken child, but Leon had fought with the kid before, he was a strong one despite having noble status. Most nobles did not train their pokemon themselves or were more detached, but Allister was one of the exceptions.

“Same to you Allister, is everything alright?” Leon asked, glancing back at Raihan to apologize as Allister pulled Leon away from him and talked about if it was ok for his pokemon to stay in his quarters. Which ended up being a segway into Allister wanting to show Leon the baby phantump that had hatched recently. This reminded Leon to greet the other champions this year, Kabu shook his hand briefly before disappearing towards his quarters for a nap, Ness and Milo were kind to speak with Leon for a moment before Melony and Opal demanded his attention next. 

By the time he was done conversing with the two women, Margery had retrieved him for his prep work before the opening ceremonies. Leon had caught a glance at Raihan talking to Bea before he was ushered into the palace. 

A tub was prepped in the washroom, Leon ended up stark nude as maidens had scrubbed him down with oiled water that scrubbed the barely there dirt from the morning. Being treated like this was odd to Leon, he usually wanted to scrub himself down, that was what he grew up doing, but for special events like this King Rose was particular on how Leon was cleaned up. The baths were open, marble carved beautiful pools that the guest and knights used to soak in, but Leon was put into the brass tub to the side while his nails were trimmed and hair being soaked in potions and vials that he could never name properly. 

He smelled floral and spiced like a cheri berry by the time they had dried him off and attended to in the dressing room, nimble fingers worked his long hair back, untangling it easily with the lotions that the maidens had put in, making it easier to curl back into a clean intricate braiding. Leon’s face was powdered down, he disliked having such heavy makeup applied to his face, thankfully this time they had simply lined his eyes with kohl before dressing him into the thick fabric of decorative tunics, open shirts that he was told to keep unbuttoned. The armor he had to put on was light enough, not true battle armor, but it shined in an oil slick shimmer, material flexible like leather, yet hard like steel. He had slipped the light starlight chainmail on before the armor, which was helped attached with the leather straps by the maidens. 

Leon was given a second to look at himself in the reflection of a mirror while the maidens that had worked on his finished attaching the shin armor, the design on them were detailed with roses, it was almost too blinding. The contrast from the silver on his skin to the maroon and deep tones of blue was flashy, yet dark enough so the armor popped out more. His braid was soon decorated with roses, threaded into the intricate strands, they were red and made him look more like a Wyndon born knight than he’s ever felt like. The last thing added with the cape, velvet and a dark red that almost looked black, the insides were quilted and the trim was in a fluffy fur that Leon couldn’t place. It hung off of his shoulders, not clinging to his back, like it was floating, once it was all put together the maidens rubbed oil over his bare and exposed chest up to his neck. It was a touch that made him sheen and shine, like he was done with a battle. Leon was left alone for a moment, given time to attach his sword and shield and being escorted out of the rooms by maidens and a few other fellow knights.

The clack of the armored shoes on his feet made an echoing sound down the hallways, cape flowing behind him as they took the way back paths to the stables. Outside his charizard was decorated similarly to him, a saddle and similar armor was on his partner along with roses that were applied carefully around her head. They will not stay during the flight over to the stadium, Leon knew at least how he and most of the other champions were being introduced. He would come in last on the back of his charizard and be presented to the crowd as the jewel of the Wyndon knights. The other champions were already at the stadium, by the sound of cheering in the distance Leon could tell they had started. 

* * *

  
  


Charizards wings climbed them up high into the shield of the clouds. Down below it was about time, he can tell in how the clouds began to pull back by Raihan’s skilled way of controlling the weather. The sun came out brightly behind him, Leon held onto the harness on his charizard, “lets go girl,” he whispered to her, she gave out a loud roar in agreement as they began the descent.

The crowd was riled up when they saw Leon and his charizard circle above the stadium. It was a lovely and wooden place that was upkept with detailing Leon could barely imagine. The center of the field was painted with a rose and as Leon and charizard came down for landing at the center of it the scent of fire and roses filled the air. The loose flowers from his braid and charizards own adornment scattered over the field.

There was an overwhelming caterwauling of cheers when Charizard touched down, flapping great gusts of wind and roaring loudly and proudly. Leon slid off on the saddle with ease, feet thudding to the ground as he faced towards the balcony where King Rose sat looking pleased. More arial knights joined behind Leon as he knelt down and bow’d towards Rose and the other champions. 

The fellow champions then knelt towards the king in turn until Rose called for everyone to rise and the opening ceremonies began.

  
  
  
  


* * *

  
  
  
  


Leon stood next to the king during the whole ceremonies, decorative and pretty under the last beams of sunlight. Torches lit the stadium as knights from other sides of the region jousted, battles were put on by the Wydon knights. The ceremonies ended as soon as they had started by the time night fell. The opening ceremonies were not as exciting to Leon, mainly because he was not in them battling, but as soon as they finished he was being escorted back to the castle and changed out of his armor and into dark midnight blue brocade suits, chest still exposed, more oil applied over his neck and sternum. Perfume was spritzed over him as his braids were undone, making his hair wavy and the smell of cheri wafted off from his locks. Golden jewelry was decorated over him, all done up for the champions ball. One thing stood out on the pendant that was placed around his neck, it was a dreamstone.

Leon idly touched it with wonder, the stone was smoothed down into a disk, red shards over the onyx stone smoothed and preserved. He remembered when his grandmother showing him where they dropped down from the sky and digging them up from the soil, they were shining and gleaming in the dark. A nice memory that comforted over his brain as Leon headed to the ballroom, stepping out into the land of nobles and knights. King Rose was up perched on his throne, Oleana was elegantly dressed in red cascading petticoats next to him, diligent and still like a doll. 

The champions ball was full of nobles, it was less of a ball for champions and more of a ball to show off the champions to the king and other nobles. Leon knew he wouldn’t be able to leave early to see his family before they took off in the morning, so he affixed himself to pouring himself a goblet of wine and watching over the room. These events were always for mingling, socializing, but not in the ways Leon enjoyed. There were plenty of nobles that were still ones to hold prejudices over Leon or spite from when he bested their champions as a child. Old history that twisted forceful smiles and the thing is that Leon knew Rose loved to watch the other nobles to become haughty over Leon. because Leon was his and Rose only had the best under his ward.

It would be harder and harder not to feel like toy for the most part.

Leon drank, finding himself conversing casually with Gordie, asking him about his knighting duties, he got along swimmingly with Gordie, he was the son to Melony, but he worked hard on his own to own his knighthood, noble blood or not. 

“So how has the weather in Circhester been? Winters coming soon, think you and Melony have the weather under control?” Leon asked, taking a long drink from his goblet.

Gordie snickered, “oh, of course we do, you know my family has the strongest resistance force Leon, you better watch out cause I’ll be coming for your spot,” he challenged. The rock type fanatic moved to finger through the orderves with mild interest near the table they were hovering around. He plucks a tart from the platter and takes a bite, swallowing before continuing.

“Speaking of west coast conditions, Piers not showing up is gonna look bad for Spikemunth,” Gordie commented lowly, licking the traces of fruit from his fingers before glancing around the ballroom, “ma and I offered to let him ride with us sense we’re neighboring territories and all, but nothing, zilch, complete utter silence. Not very like him if you ask me, he at least had the decency to respond back most of the time, but I dunno Leon.” 

Leon let the information sink in, he almost forgot that Piers was nowhere to be seen along with his own sister Marnie. For some reason it settled down in the back of his head with the other bad feelings have been harbouring. Taking a deep breath he nods at Gordie, “we’ll check on him together when we get down to Spikemunth, I’ll send a corvisquire tonight, see what the fuss is.”

Gordie nodded, flicking his hair back before chuckling, “you’re needed elsewhere, nice talk Leon,” he patted the rigning knight on the arm and moved away from him. Leon looked around to wherever he was referring to when Leon caught sight of graying hair and a tapping of a cane on the ground. Lady Magnolia was here with Sonia in tow, the Magnolia ladies dressed for the occasion and Nessa holding onto Sonia’s arm in tow.

Leon remembers their wedding, it was two years ago, Sonia had married Nessa after six months of penpalling and three more of secret outings. Of course Leon was the secret person to know of this, keeping his ears opened to whenever Sonia had gushed about the girl from Hulburry that stole her heart. Their wedding was held out on the Magnolia mansion, a springtime wedding right on the lake, Leon had been there as a man of honor, it was the happiest he had ever seen Sonia.

Magnolia thumped her cane down in front of Leon, snapping his attention to the shorter elder Magnolia, she beamed up at him before reaching out to fix Leon’s clothes. A trait most Magnolia born nobles had, fixing up other people’s outfits as a sign of affection, something Leon had grown so used to by now.

“My my dear Leon, don’t you look handsome,” Magnolia said, her wrinkled face curling up in a smile, her age lines were not too harsh, but still showed from the ages of smiling and laughing.

“Thank you milady Magnolia, you’re as sweet as your namesake,” he replied with a smile.

Sonia flanked him with Nessa, dusting off some crumbs on his shoulder while Nessa poured goblets for her, Sonia and the elder magnolia.

“No hitting on my dearest grandmother Leon, a widowed woman is to blossom in her own achievements, not the ones of a younger man she takes,” Sonia scorns in a cheeky manner.

Leon scoffed and took a drink, “can I not compliment the woman who gave me my partner?” he protests as Magnolia giggled into her hand.

“I think my dear Sonia is trying to insinuate that you find one who will make you as happy as she is,” Magnolia spoke smoothly, “every occasion they have you glazed up like a Yule ham dearie, ripe for the picking.”

Leon felt his face heat up, he tried to play it off by drinking more wine while the chittering women around him teased his lack of romantic status.

“Yeah, but they do it for all the other champions,” Nessa said, side eyeing over Leon, her midriff exposing dress glitter in the chandelier light from the sapphires crested into it, “you’re nothing special Lee, even Kabu looks more appetizing for a man of his age.”

Sonia sputtered into her drink, choking lightly while Miss Magnolia let out a throaty laugh from Nessa’s comment. Leon wanted to scold her for being rude, but instead her hid his smile behind his cup and looked around to make sure no one else heard that. His shoulders shook lightly, a few odd looks were shot their way, but nothing too bad. 

Conversation slipped into casual tones as the night drew on, the orchestra set up began to play more uplifting music began to pick up. Sonia and Nessa ditched their drinks on the tables and floated over to the center for a group dancing. Miss Magnolia excused herself to go have a word with Opal, Leon stood on the sidelines to watch the dancing, tapping his foot along to the sound of the violins and drinking more wine. 

“Too good to dance huh?” a familiar voice spoke up next to him, Leon glanced to the side, catching sight of Raihan joining him. Like the other champions, Raihan was spiffed up for the ball, less intricate of a suit that Leon was snugly put into, but the dark red and silver chains that hung from Raihan’s frame was nothing more than flattering. A oran berry was in his hand, grown bigger from the lush lands from Turrfeild or Postwick, Leon watched Raihan’s teeth sink into the flesh of the fruit and a little bit of juice trailed down his jaw. Leon looked away.

“Nah, I just can’t dance,” Leon partially lied to Raihan, playing it off more casually. In truth Leon had stopped dancing at these events in his younger years, mainly due to being made fun of for the old village dancing he would do that he had grown up doing in Postwick. It was the one thing he felt bad about letting it get to him, he usually had a thick skin to these things, but being made fun of for the traditions he grew up with did something to his courage when it came to dancing events.

Raihahn swallowed, raising an eyebrow at him, “really? Huh, must of thought of the wrong person then,” he shrugged.

“Oh like who?” Leon asked a little curiously.

“You know, that kid from ten years ago that liked to dance,” he said, giving Leon and expectant look.

Leon shoved Raihan lightly, “oh piss _off_ ,” he chuckled, ‘that was an actual decade ago.”

“Oh I know mate, there’s a lot of things that happened a decade ago,” he said the last part a little bitterly.

Leon opened his mouth to ask if there was something wrong when Oleana was making an announcement, clinging her glass with a fork, the noise rang out over the ballroom, the music lowered down as attention was drawn up to the King and Oleana.

“King Rose will now like to say a few words to the champions.”

The room was filled with clapping, Leon set down his goblet to give better attention towards the incline of the throne, clapping his hands together firmly. Rose got up, his crown glittering in the light as he held up a hand to single the room to grow quiet. He held his goblet in one hand as he spoke, voice ringing clear into the room.

“Thank you, tonight is such a gratuitous night for all of us, as we consume the bounty from our lands, blessed by Arceus and provided by the hard work us Galar born and bred are familiar with. Tonight I would like to remind everyone about the event not too long ago.”

Rose paused, reading the room, his gaze did not miss Leon as he stood at attention, goblet in hand. The moonlight streamed in from the stained glass windows behind the throne, casting evangelical hues over the floors. Rose’s adopted prince Bede sat at his own Throne, face holding a look of still stone like boredom.

“The darkest days were one that had taken many from us, and I am still honored to of been there to help our people from such tragic events. But let us remember the newer and brighter ones,for we have the privilege to hold festivities like these, to hone our strongest champions from every corner of Galar.” Rose raised his goblet towards Leon when he said this, acknowledging his background.

“So tonight, let us drink knowing that although night brings the dark, we will always _prevail_.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Heya my fresh and funky dudes, let me know what y'all think in the comments. I do not have a beta reader, but I do my best, if theres an error, feel free to point it out and I'll edit it so no one else has to suffer.
> 
> -Jasper


	3. Natural Accidents

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Oh Man We Have An Adventure For Ya'll

Like Leon had promised Gordie,he had written a letter to Piers the night before and sent a covisquire out before passing out in bed with a belly full of wine. Morning came and Leon was packed up for the journey, nothing made him feel more like he did when he was ten than traveling through Galar again. He left a note of instructions to the other head knights, mainly to address his squire’s duties, there will be no slacking while he was gone.

It would be a cold travel down south towards Hammerlocke, there was not really where the festivities will start, traditionally they would be started in Turffeild, Hammerlocke was the way point to stop after traveling through the glacial fjord. Leon had packed a decent pack, mainly concerned about keeping his team warm, they were held in a pokemon carrying caravan’s, not many were able to withstand the cold and Leon was concerned about frostbite settling into any of his team. He was walking through the line up of caravans, checking on each one of his pokemon, traveling will be long and harrowing, he made sure to give each one of his partners a couple of aspear berries and stroked dragapult’s head where it materialized stronger than the other parts of his body while dreepy whined hollowly inside of his horns.

Leon took in a deep breath, it was a cool day in Wyndon, he had dressed in layers for the journey, looking around he saw everyone else getting settled into their caravans. He was riding with Milo down to Hammerlocke along with Allister. 

“Young man, you look so lost,” a withered voice said behind him. Leon jumped, not being able to tell someone was behind him to begin with, he usually was a lot more perceptive than this.

Turning around he was met with an old withered looking woman, her skirts were weathered down and her cloak was a rough looking fabric that swayed over her frame. She was gripping a small cane and the bags of skin that drooped low over her brow covered her eyes. Leon has never seen her before in his life, nor around the castle before, so he gave her a patient smile.

“I feel perfectly found miss,” he replied politely, and the old woman gave a small huff.

“No need for friendly lies boy, I know a lost child when I see one. Not yet a man, yet wears the skin of one you are, you remind me of my grandson.”

Leon felt a little baffled at the old woman’s words, not too much offended, she was correct in a way. He felt more lost now a days than he did in his youth, but he was good at pretending to be put together. There was something about the elderly that held an air of wisdom that was almost fairy like and that was the exact impression Leon gathered from this woman. She shuffled her boney fingers around, pulling out a small leather bound pouch, her fingers pulling out a long copper chain. There was a glimmer of red and deep blue stone that was swung around at the end of the chain, Leon recognized it immediately, feeling his breath catch in his throat for a moment. There was something about this stone and the old woman that vaguely reminded him of his late grandmother that extracted the breath from his lungs.

She grabbed his hands, wrapping them over the necklace, “in my years we called these dreamstones,” her voice was firm and strong as she spoke, squeezing Leon’s hands down over the necklace.

“Do you know why we called them dreamstones?” she asked in a curious voice.

Leon found himself shaking his head, the name was familiar, one his grandmother would say. The old woman patted his hands and gave him a toothy smile, “for dreams are kept in the clouds and into the heavens, when a child was born more of these stones would drop from the sky. Dreams are more rampant when one is young and has yet to live many lives, just like you dear.”

Leon heard someone call his name loudly across the courtyard, he turned his head away to the shout, but found no one there to be clamoring for his attention. When he turned back to the woman she was gone, but the stone was still left in his palms. Cautiously, he pockets the item, an odd sign if he’s ever seen one. He just was not sure what for.

* * *

  
  


The caravans pulled out onto the frozen fjords, blankets swallowed over Allister’s frame as he curled up on one of the small bunks. He was from the eastern coast where the heat and sun shined the brightest, the cold was none too kind to him. His litwick was out, held in his hands as a pale blue and cool tone of the fire lit up the caravan. Outside the wind whipped against the sides of their caravan, Milo was getting motion sickness. It was a quiet trip down the fjord, Leon was sitting on the wooden floor, wrapped in his cloak and rubbing his palms together while puffing his hot breath over them.

There was something uneasy about the trip, going on land caravans instead of through the sky, autumn was soon to sweep in and the colder weather made travel harder to brace on land. Autumn was usually short lived before winter and once the snow coated over Galar traveling was doubled and the nights would come sooner. 

Milo lurched forward when the caravan hit a rough bump in the road, grabbing the sides of the caravan cabin with his two strong arms to steady himself. He was beginning to look a little green in the gills, so Leon moved to grab at his pack.

“Milo, come sit down, I have something for you,” Leon said, noticing how much more rooted Milo became once he sat down. The gentleman looked at Leon with a quizzical expression, his arms covered in his downy green cloak as he scooted closer to him.

Leon took a moment of searching before producing a hardened green candy from his pouch and tossed it towards Milo, who caught it in his giant paws. Milo inspected the candy, “what is this?”

“Lum drop, it’ll settle your stomach, Allister?” he called to the young noble, holding up one for him to see. Allister perked up, his litwick chirping in his arms as Allisters palms moved up. Leon tossed Allister a candy, laughing when he caught it in his palms and slid the candy under the veil of the blankets draped over his head.

“It’s….Sweet,” Allister said after a moment.

Leon nodded, “ its cooked honey, the chef at the palace showed me, I added lum incase anyone felt ill.”

Allisternodded from under the blanket, Leon looked back at Milo, watching him suck on the candy in his mouth.

“You feeling better mate?” Leon asked, shuffling in his spot to cover himself better with his cloak.

Milo’s head bobbed in a nod, “much, thank you Leon, you’re very kind.”

Leon smiled genuinely at that, it was no joke that Milo was naturally the most congenial champion for this years festival tournament. He was soft to a point of being compared to that of the sweet grassy hills of Turffeild many times before and Leon could see that clearly by how polite Milo always was.

Out of nowhere the caravan turned into a shaking mess, whipping around and the floor turning into congealed jam for a moment, wiggling and grinding to a halt. Leon smacked against the sides of the cabin, holding his hands up to keep himself from sputtered all over the ground. The cabin was still shaking by the time Leon got to his feet, the doors flew open as Milo exited the paused caravan to hurl out into the snow. Leon checked on Allister, his litwick was holding onto the boys arm, Leon gently checked the boy to make sure he wasn’t badly injured.

“You ok? A little shaken up there?” Leon asked Allister while he was checking where the young lad said he was hurt.

“A tad...it’s ok though, except…” Allister paused, voice shaky and small as he looked behind Leon, “Milo is...getting sick.”

“Yeah, I know, I’m going to go outside and check on everything, are you going to be alright?”

Allister nodded, “I’m...S-strong, don’t worry too much for me.”

Leon nodded, “I’ll be back soon.”

Milo was still out in the snow catching his breath and whipping the bile from his mouth when Leon climbed out of the caravan. Leon patted Milo’s back, the stench of bile was in the air, Leon helped Milo up and sat him on the steps of the caravan, giving the sick man a drink from his water flask. Once Milo was tended to Leon left the caravan to good see the issue.

They were turned off from the side of the path, a few other caravans were the same, a few turned completely around. Baggage and packs were strewn across the road, a few pokemon from the caravans were out, Leon made his way to the front of his caravan, finding the coachman consoling the spooked ponyta. Their hooves struck the ground violently, clearly shaken up.

“Hey, what happened?” Leon asked the coachman, who looked back a moment to Leon before going back to coaxing the ponyta back down.

“A bloody earthquake! Scared all the ponyta and rapidashes! Have no fuckin clue about the front of the line,” the man said briskly and Leon nodded. 

“I’ll go check the front, see if there’s anyone badly hurt,” Leon stated to the coachman before heading off to check on the other caravans. Gordie and Melony’s caravan was tipped over in the snow, but the mother and son were handling it well with the aid from Melony’s beartic. Ponyta and rapidashes were being settled down, harnesses loosened and oran berries few to each one of them by their caretakers. There was an immediate jolt from the ground and Leon lunged forward, hands smacking against the rough wooden surface of the nearby caravan to grip for balance.

The sound of hooves stomping upon the ground did not help, Leon watched as a group of rapidashes came out from the coachmen’s grip and disappear into the snowy distance. Once the chaos subsided, curses slew out from the coachmen, one of them started running after the escaped rapidashes and a few ponyta trotted past Leon as he was regaining his composure.

Seeing the harness dragging into the ground, he chased after the ponyta and scuffles over the ice to grab it and hold a firm grip, digging his heels into the ground. That was when old noblewoman Opal, draped in her furs, stepped in the direct line of the ponyta’s war path of panic. Leon started to feel dread and anxiety creep up as she pulled a gloved hand out and Leon squeezed his eyes shut for contact.

But contact never came, instead the ponyta came to a halt and Leon lunged forward, harness slipped from his hand and somehow he manages to catch himself by waving his arms in the air sporadically. His head spun as he finally gave into the whirlwind and fell onto his ass, hitting the snow, taking a moment to recombobulate. Once he did, he looked up to see lady Opal, petting the ponyta with the back of her hand, hand caressing the hair of the blue and pink mane dearly. She was hushing the ponyta, something flared around her hand as she did so and a sweet scent filled the air, similar to tea leaves and cubes of sugar, drifting in the air and mingling with the icicles. Leon thought he was hallucinating a moment as sparks of gold shot up from the ponyta’s mane and something gentle flutters by his eyesight, swathed in plump sugary snow and fluttering wings, so small he almost missed it. 

Whispers danced with it, small words that floated up from the wind and feared imprints of hooves on the ground, shuddered breaths of words that trembled as they vibrated past like wings from a yanma. 

Leon’s eyes followed the pattern up to the ponyta, its slicked mane was electrified in an energy unlike that of a lightning born pokemon, up to Opal’s hand and her face which moved, pinpointed on Leon. Her eyes were wintergreen, teal flecks that reminded him of the west bordered seas, but Opal’s pupils were forever iced over in white. A curse on the Ballon family, old blood that was once foretold to be no different to that of the fairies and fae; something ancient that blinded Opal in her youth. There was neither confirmed or denied on the details of Opal’s blinding, but around her neck was an adder stone, one smoothed and pure like the driven stone, Leon has seen her move the stone up over her eye and use it to see. The properties he was never sure about, but as Opal moved her other hand up with the stone, her eye peered at him from the adder stone.

“Get off from the ground boy or else you’ll surely catch cold,” she ordered at Leon, hand stroking through the ponyta’s mane still, calm and poised in a way that Leon has no skill to wield himself.

When Opal said that Leon realized how numb his backside felt and immediately began to scuffle up off of the ground. He dusted himself up while a firm blush stole his composure, Opal laughed, whether it was him or a secret she exchanged conspiratally between herself and the ponyta he couldn’t tell.

“ _Boy_ ,” Opal barked at him, “come here and take that stone out from your pouch.”

Furrowing his eyebrows he decided to obey her words, coming closer to the ancient woman and the ponyta, looking around a moment.

“No one is watching, show me your treasure dearie.”

Coughing into his fist Leon nodded, popping open the pouch on his belt loops that Opal’s eye was ogling. Gently, he took the necklace he had received earlier out and Opal’s eye light up from behind the stone, almost childlike.

“I haven’t seen one of those in a century!” she said baffled, her hand cascading down from the ponyta to touch the dreamstone. Her purple tipped fingernails moved over the circular bumps and the deep scoring of red with interest, humming happily and nodding her head.

“Thank you for humoring me, you may put your treasure away dear,” she said, hand retreating away from the stone. A coachman was running towards them to retrieve the ponyta so Leon practically stuffed the necklace back into his pocket. 

“Oh good!” the coachman exclaimed, retrieving the reins, “we only got one rapidash left in our pack, we might need to make camp for the night.”

Leon frowned, this would derail the festivities and an even more worried part of his head feared for the King being upset about that. Opal’s hand grabbed Leon’s shoulder and her voice clapped out, “well how about we put the crowning champion of knights to the task of retrieving the loose rapidash hm?”

Leon immediately looked at Opal with bewilderment, eyes growing a little wide at the noble lady’s proclamation, he looks over at the coachman who was now beaming.

“Oh yes! That would be most appreciated of you sir Leon!” 

Leon was a sucker for saying yes to every challenge or quest that came his way, so he gave a surefire smile and nodded, “of course!”

* * *

  
  


Leon despised the cold weather. Well not as much as Raihan, but to be fair, Raihan was a master of weatherly control during battle, somehow managing to bring out qualities of a pokemon that caused battles to drag on longer and with more of a unique factor. Right now though, Leon was packing up to take off into the whipping snowy winds into the fjord to find a group of lost rapidash. Arriving late to Hammerlocke by the next morning dawn would be preferable to being a whole day late. Their trip before hitting a bump in the road was halfway down the fjord, too far from Wyndon to retrieve more rapidash and too far from Hammerlocke to request aid.

So Leon had to take a moment to gather himself and get saddled onto the back of the last rapidash. The caravans were pulled up and put almost back in order by the time he trotted down the line of them, his cloak swaying back in the wind in the pull as he saw the situated ponyta being put up for rest. He would take one of his partners out, but a lot of them were susceptible to the ice and snow or were not fast enough to make this mission a fast one. Time was a bigger enemy in this situation, so pulling back the reins, he makes a loop in the reins and taps his heel into the side of the rapidash, giving a sharp whistle and they took off from a steady gallop to a run. 

He’s ridden rapidash before, squire training required every potential knight to ride one, ponyta were for children and mudbray were considered for peasantry, a sentiment Leon found distaste in, but rapidash were for knights and royalty.

The rapidash he was riding was called Nicky, names for rapidashes in Galar was important, there were reasons why training to ride one was a long and vexing task. Their psychic energy flowed and ebbed into the riders bones,they were aided easily on powers that Leon has only tasted on occasions, but was easy to slip into. Psychic and fairy pokemon were sometimes the most dangerous to Leon, similar, yet far from the same, energy that was old and flexed the brain around in funny ways. 

As Nicky rode down the whiteout planes, puffs of fogged up breath fogged up from her muzzle, splitting in two over the sides of her face, horn pointed in the direction they were going. Leon kept firm on the reigns, partially due to his training and also the lingering fear he always had that if he wasn’t careful he could easily slip into giving Nicky the reigns. Hooves pounding on ice, bursts of psychic energy crackled in Nicky’s fetlocks, and a layer of paths opened up to them. Leon let out a “woah woah woah!” and steered Nicky to slow down, eyes wide and heart pumping in his chest as they circled over the purple and pink fizzling paths over the snowy grounds.

The prints were long blown away by the blizzarding winds, but Leon spotted hooved prints in the path that Nicky lit up, a few others were small ones and a trail of giant paw prints that Leon spotted quickly. They were beartic prints, he became easily familiar with them, he took his hand off of the reign and carefully stroked over Nicky’s mane.

“We better be wary of the bigger ones Nicky,” he said to her, “best we keep out of the way of a beast that can best make us it’s dinner.”

Nicky made a low whinny, one that confirmed at least that she was listening to him, Leon petted her mane a few times and went back into a gallop, following the path of rapidash prints. It had looked like the prints grouped together, going up into the mountainous terrain. They slowed down as they followed the prints up the side of a mountain, the path narrowed until it flared out and the glowing path split. Leon got Nicky to stop, pulling out of the stirrups and planting down onto the ground. Taking the reins in one hand, Leon guided Nicky off of the pack trail to follow a singular set of rapidash prints until the whipping snow thinned enough for him to see the outline to the mouth of a cave.

Sucking in a deep breath, Leon looked at Nicky, catching the blue gaze of the powerful pokemon. She looked deep into Leon’s eyes and Leon felt like she could see the inside contents of his mind down to his soul, it made him shiver.

“I’m going to go check it out,” he said, not daring to try to stroke Nicky’s mane as reassurance, “wait here.”

Nicky shook her head, whinnying into the air, Leon gave a reassuring smile to the pokemon before trekking towards the cave. Leon felt his heart pound harder as he trudged through the snow, his arm raised up to shield his face from the crashing wind and snow hitting his face. He paused when he stumbled over rock and the snow on his feet felt less heavy and his body warmed. Removing his arm, he looked into the depths of the cave, inside was warm and wet, but also pitch and felt like it could swallow him whole. 

Leon felt the sinking feeling of being alone as it hit him down to his core, he had none of his partner pokemon with him and no one to call for aid unless Nicky could hear his calls. It reminded him of the long period of time when he was a child, lost in the Glimwood Tangle, no Sonia or Raihan around, just him looking for his lost charmeleon. Crude laughter of impidimps keeping him on edge at the time, but now he just felt silence as he wandered into the cave.

If he had a torch or even flint he could possibly manage a light, something, but the only thing that lead him here were the lite up path of the stray rapidash. It was like walking in a room with pin point direction to the path, the prints were fading as Leon followed in deeper, feeling around the twisting cave walls for guidance. Water dripped down from the walls and the wind howled and whistled around the cracks and edges. Leon felt his way around, even when the tracks disappeared, psychic energy fizzling away.

Then there was a cry, a singular echo, it sounded faint, but close enough that it drove Leon to stumble through the cave blindly. When it grew too quiet Leon paused, ears preening for any movement, a drip of water, wind, small pebbles moving against the ground. He practically held his breath listening to every detail, the way the wind whipped, like there was an opening nearby that he couldn’t see yet. The music of the caves felt so perpetually endless, until he heard something familiar, like a clash of rocks against one another. Except not the same as a man would clack rocks together, something more specific and organic, that he’s heard before but only on cobblestones. A hoof. 

Hooves moving through the cave, Leon took the que to follow the sound, silently stilling himself every so often to reconfigure his senses to that sound. He waded in the dark, becoming more familiar with it in more than one sense, and then, there was a spark.

A light of psychokinetic energy, faint and dull, but it burst out in the distance and Leon was fumbling towards it. The light fizzled up again as he drew near, then the next flare the lost rapidash looked directly at him with feared eyes and glazed over fur. Then, like a beacon Leon was five feet away from the rapidash as it’s mane lit up, a brilliant golden glory and a zap of its horn struck out to him. 

That was when Leon heard a low growl from behind him.

Turning on his heel, Leon saw it, bigger than his own charizard, but smaller than his dragapult, it took upon the form of a towering shadow. Leon felt the air cutting past his head as a bright magenta strike of a psycho cut hit the beast. A bearatic.

Looking around the cave, Leon saw the patches of fur and piles of bones, they were right in its den and the bearatic was none too happy when it hit against the cave wall and gave out a bloodcurdling roar that pitted Leon’s insides. This was bad, this was dangerous, but this was Leon and he did not become an untouchable knight to be reigned highly without some credit at least.

Leon fell back to the rapidash’s side, there was a tingling sensation in his bones as he did so, like as if the rapidash was connecting to him. It was similar to when he rode Nicky earlier, so he took a deep breath and let it happen. 

“I know I am not your partner,” Leon spoke as the bearatic was thumping its hind paws against the ground, claws making an unpleasant sound against rock, as if sharpening them before tearing into it’s next prey. “But I can help, trust in me.”

As he said that, the bearatic was charging and without much delay Leon gave an order to the rapidash, “psychic! On its belly! Knock it into the wall!”

There was a great burst of energy, it almost stunned Leon as a beam of crackling magenta energy projected out from the rapidash’s horn. It hit directly to the bearatic’s pale stomach and with a loud cry, rapidash sent it spiraling back.

Leon saved his victories for later, he found the harness on the rapidash and grabbed it, “let go!”

The rapidash exerted its energy to keep its mane aglow as they ran through the cave, silicobras hissed at the as they ran to the best of their abilities back towards the mouth of the cave. The pounding and caterwauling of the bearatic behind them kept their feet working hard as Leon navigated, but things came to a halt when another bearatic reared its way in front of their path. Leon pulled the rapidash back, looking back to see the faint glimmer of the other bearatic catching up. They were trapped, and Leon felt the panic set in, there was no other way out of this right?

A burst of heat hit Leon first before the blast of fire crackling engulfed the bearatic that blocked the front of their path. The rapidash cried out, panicked and Leon had to hold onto its reins harder to keep them stable. The bearatic knocked over, Leon watched it hit the ground with a thud and he couldn’t believe it. That was until he saw a flicker of pleased flames come out from turtonator and Raihan by his partner’s side. Leon felt relief crash over him until he was reminded of the bearatic behind him, eyes widening as he runs towards Raihan.

“There’s another one,” he warns Raihan, who nodded firmly, face splitting into a grin as he orders another fire blast down the tunnel. Leon watches the flames shoot down the cavern walls, licking at the stone and leaving a trail of carbon in its trace before it hits the remaining bearatic. 

A breath of relief escaped Leon, and so did the rapidash as it’s mane stopped glowing and Leon felt the harness go slack. Using the guide of the harness, Leon cursed under his breath and felt the rapidash, laying on the floor.

“Their unconscious,” he said as Raihan ordered his turtonator to keep the flame going. With a new light source flickering in the cave, Leon looked over the rapidash, lightly touching over their vitals to make sure it was nothing serious before turning to Raihan.

“Just fainted,” he reconfirmed and Raihan nodded.

“Turtonator can carry em, you look none the worse for wear,” Raihan commented, offering a hand.

Leon took it firmly, letting the pull of Raihan and the motion of him coming up onto his feet gravitate him closer than normal to the other man. Raihan’s face was a little red, from the cold and heat no less, he never faire well in the cold either, hell he preferred the warmth of his dragons to the cold any day if Leon remembered correctly.

“Yes well, everyone is alright, that’s what matters,” he replied, a little too stiffly for his liking.

Good thing Raihan punched Leon on the arm as turtonator grabbed the unconscious rapidash, “a thank you and an apology is in order, don't think that just because you’re champion of champions means that I’m not as great.”

“Did you want a thank you or a brag?” Leon commented and a sharp bark escaped from Raiahn’s mouth, “also how did I wrong you in a way that orders an apology?”

“For one,” Raihan pulled close to Leon and grabbed the collar of his tunic under his cloak and retied the leather straps at the front, nimble fingers working on Leon’s clothes, “you took the credit of playing hero again.”

“To be fair Opal had volunteered me.”

“You could have refused,” Raihan arched a brow at Leon, tightening the front closed with the ties, keeping the cold air out better, “since when did old nobles dictate your actions?”

“That is the point of our oath to the crown and the compatriots, blood related and otherwise Raihan,” he allowed his eyes to curiously look over Raihan’s face as his fingers moved on from the ties to re pinning his cloak in place. ”Also when did you become my mum or Sonia?”

Raihan snorted, blue eyes looking over the fabric of Leon’s cloak fondly as he smoothed it out, “oh well it’s apart of my oath you see to aid the crown and it’s compatriots is it not?” he threw back with a glint of his white teeth glimmering in a grin as he threw Leon’s words back at him.

“Oh piss off, I am no child, I can care for my own upkeep, now can we get the fuck out of this cave now? Or should I powder my face before going back out into the bloody blizzard?” Leon spoke with a smile in his voice, scoffing at Raihan.

“Only if it will appease you and the royalty of the snow and ice,” Raihan replied, turning on his heel and towards the direction where the whipping winds grew louder.

  
  


* * *

  
  


“How did you find me?” Leon asked as he trailed back up on the trail with Nicky’s reins back in his hands. Turtonator went back to the caravans with the passed out rapidash, of which Nicky had to go investigate and make sure her fellow friend was before being coaxed to continue the search.

“You left a rapidash out in the snow, it’s hard to miss the beast,” Raihan replied simply, earning a loud breath of air coming from Nicky as she shook her head downward at Raihan.

“Sorry, creature, dragons consider beast to be a compliment lass,” he said to the rapidash.

Leon snickered, following the multiple trials of psychic energy up the mountain with Raihan. It almost felt endless, but the company was well received when it kept Leon’s mind and trembles away from the scare in the cave. He would never admit it, but he was more than scared back there, the shock had set in long ago and right now the only thing that stabilized him was following the path and the sound of Raihan’s voice.

“I think it’s just your dragons that find that term to be an endearment,” Leon commented, grabbing the side of the mountain for a better grip as they walked. It would be faster on Nicky, but exerting the pressure of not just one but two men on her back going uphill was a bad idea. Then there was the old wives tales about how unlucky it is for two people to ride a rapidash together, something along the lines of insulting the fae and being melded to each other’s minds. It was one of those things that Leon would hate to admit he believed in, even just a little bit, superstitions were always everywhere in Galar, but his grandmother used to have a way of getting him to believe some truth in them all as a kid.

“I think it also works on folk like you too,” Raihan commented, a little giggly when he said it, “or more of a compliment, you ever have the ladies call you a beast eh champion?”

Leon nearly tripped over a rock when Raihan said that, caught off guard and still trying to find his head. Instead of forming an intelligent response, Leon just said, “uh.”

“Uh? Uh like, yeah? Or Uh like you’re two minutes from calling me a tosser?” Raihan continued, badgering on Leon for a proper response.

“Uh as in I did not expect to have a love making conversation with you as of right now,” Leon stated firmly enough, mainly because it was the one sentence he can say right now that made the most sense.

“Love making, ah man, a romantic at heart eh? I get it, you don’t have to talk to your best mate about the intricacies of “love making”.”

“Raihan,” Leon started, “maybe let’s save the conversation for later when we’re not scaling a mountain, alright mate?”

The rest of the journey was quiet after that, Leon wanted to feel bad at that moment about it, mainly because it sounded like Raihan just wanted to reconnect a little with him. Leon wanted to, he did, the ball did not leave much in the way of time to talk when another noble requests Leon’s attention or between that and him retiring early to go see his family one more time before being swept up in his other duties. He wished that Raihan understood that the level of gravity he had to deal with when it came to the king and the palace was higher than Leon could handle for the most part. Sacrifices were made along with his adolescents to continue being the best, to continue to reach the expected platitudes that Rose presented him with.

Then Raihan came along and acts like their kids still and somehow that furled a bad feeling in Leon’s chest. There were a lot of things that bothered Leon, things he let out around Sonia on occasion, but they were things he’s learned to stuff down tight in his chest.

Nicky nudges Leon with her muzzle while they walked, as if she was picking up his sense of unease, it unsettled him a bit still, but Leon patted the rapidash on her head gingerly nonetheless.

Then there were the golden flashes of manes in the distance, Nicky let out a loud neigh and a caterwauling of more came forth. A stampede of the rapidash that were spooked by the earthquake were all clumped together up on the mountainside. Leon clapped his hands and gave a triumphant yell.

From there Raihan mounted a rapidash in the back of the pack and Leon saddled back up on Nicky leading the front. With all the missing ones accounted for, they trotted down the mountain and ran through the frozen planes back to the caravans camped out.

The coachmen whooped and hollard when Leon and Raihan came back with the pack of rapidashes, they regrouped them back into their caravan lineups, harnessing them all one by one. Leon was still on the saddle when Opal came out of nowhere again, her gloved hands touching Nicky’s face, lips curled up in amusement.

“This one tells a story, but both her and I can tell you’re going to have many to come child,” Opal spoke, voice alight and airy, like she had never stopped being the precipice of agile and elegant in her whole life.

“May I ask why you must refer to me as a child?” Leon asked, unmounting from Nicky, “I pay my dues and have been a man for a long time, but I do not understand what it is you see in me that is like that of a child.”

Opal did not respond right away, like she was waiting for the right moment and when she was ready she lifted her adder stone up to her eye and peered at Leon. 

“It is not something that is perceived dear, nor can I tell you, you will know what I mean when you have grown into your own skin,” she said, dropping her stone and letting it hit down onto her cloaks with a soft thud and turning around. Using her parasol as a cane to guide her back to her own caravan and to Leon, he believed that the mystical woman surrounded by fae could walk with no guidance at all.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy new year!!!! AHHHH!!! I'm very excited about 2020 my dudes! Leave me some fresh comments to let me know what you think of this chapter!


	4. Sleepy Greens

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “But I thought you didn’t like Opal,” Leon pointed out, rolling his sleeves up and sitting down at the edge of the bed, “between fae and ice, you’re crossing territories dangerous for a dragon breeder recently Rai.”
> 
> Raihan laughed at that, smacking his hand down against his leg, “oy I never said I didn’t like the ol croon! She’s just a lil unsettling, and two you need not to worry over what I can and can’t handle champ.”

The purple dawn rose up by the time they were inbound towards the obsidian and gold city of Hammerlocke, one of the jeweled cities that Raihan was the top knight and repeating champion of. Which made sense for Leon, Raihan was a local Hammerlocke child through and throughout, his first pokemon was a goomy and he knew this place like the back of his hand while Leon was embarrassed about getting lost all the time. Even now as the caravans unloaded to the Hammerlocke palace, Leon felt out of sorts. It was not from the lack of sleep he did not get on their late departure and arrival or the stress that rang in the back of his head, but from the knowledge that he could not mentally map out where they were in the citystate. 

Milo and Allister had gotten decent sleep during the rest of their travels, Leon could not explain what had come over him that made him not get a hint of shut eye. He should of been able to sleep like a babe in the crib after the quest he had done to retrieve the lost rapidashes, but no, he just stayed up and counted the nails in the caravan. There was no extended stay in Hammerlocke, it was a pit stop before they continued towards Turffield, the champions had been told not to wander off for no longer than an hour before they had to depart again.

The moment Leon yawned Gordie was on him, slinging his big arm around Leon’s shoulders.

“Buddy buddy, Leon, are you tired?” he asked, Gordie's voice sounding a tad bit too mischievous to Leon’s ears, but not enough for him to raise concern at the moment.

“I suppose I am,” Leon replied sweetly, keeping his tone soft because he knew it’d be hoarse if he was any louder.  
“Aw man, we gotta get you set up somewhere quiet buddy,” as Gordie spoke he grabbed Leon’s arm and the taller man seemed to go with it, leaning towards Gordie’s direction. 

“Why?” Leon asked, feeling a little bit like a kid being led somewhere he didn’t want to go, “I should stay by the caravans.”

“Yeah yeah, but you need a good nap before we head out to Turffield, can't have you sleeping during the day like Piers man.”

Leon nodded off for a moment, when his brain turned back on he did not realize where Gordie was taking him at all and began to panic. He planted his feet and gave resistance to Gordie, “I can nap at the caravans,” he stated, voice warbling a little, “where are we?”

“The caravans are loud thou-”  
“What are you two doing?”

Leon could faintly make out Kabu coming into view, arms crossed and eyes set on the two as Leon tried to zone back into the waking world. Kabu was an old part of the nobility, just like Opal, except he came from a faraway land, but his ties were solid so when the last lord of Motostoke croaked he took over easily. Kabu was more related on the branch to Gordie and Melony, Melony being a distant niece and making Gordie his nephew. Family relations when it came to the crown were confusing to keep up with, but it’s a good thing it had been hammered into Leon’s head when he was eleven.

“Oh uncle Kabu!” Goudie greeted briskly, he was still holding onto Leon’s arm firmly, “whatcha doing over here? You raring for a scrimmage?” 

Leon blinked as Kabu looked over at him, Leon could never firmly read Kabu, he was a man with a normally monotone face and kept all his card to himself, especially when in battle. 

“You did not answer my question,” Kabu said relentlessly, making a pointed look at Leon and Gordie’s hold on him, “you should let the King’s Knight go Gordie, before you get in more trouble than whatever you’re planning is worth.”

Gordie made a frustrated noise in the back of his throat, almost one akin to a child being denied their favorite toy. He eventually let go of Leon’s arm and the tingles of pins and needles started to tingle over Leon’s arm. Leon stumbled away, unsure of what he should really be doing right now considering he had no clue where he was.

The sound of Kabu’s disappointed voice filled the air in the distance as Leon used a handrail to go down a set of steps, feet clicking on the scale patterned cobblestones in a pleasing way. Looking around he found himself in a small garden, greenery filled the area, twisting vines and luscious otherworldly flowers blooming under the attention of the sun. Leon walked down one of the paths with keen interest, finding a small pond full of goldeen and seaking. He poked his fingers into the water to let them nibble at his fingers, giggling when they let him carefully run a finger over their finely scaled skin that was both beautiful and delicate. Then he felt one nudge against the pouch of his belts, and something odd happened.

It was a goldeen, at first Leon thought the lack of sleep had him hallucinating, but a bright red glow encapsulated the goldeen, it’s form moving from small to two times its size and then fizzling back to it’s normal size. Leon furrowed his brows and reached into his pouch, hands brushing against the dreamstone and looking it over before bringing it towards the goldeen again.

“Leon?”

Leon fully flinched at the sound of the unexpected voice, knee jerking into the pond before he pulled himself back, hand fisting the dreamstone in his palm. He found Raihan doubled over laughing at him, so while he was laughing Leon stuffed the necklace back into his pouch.

“Sorry, didn’t mean to spook ya mate!” he cackled at him as Leon tried his best to look less fritzed out, which did not work unfortunately when Raihan cocked his head at him.

“You ok there mate?” he asked, looking over Leon for good measure.

“I'm just tired,” Leon admitted freely, waving his hands up in the air, “couldn’t sleep at all on the ride in.”

“Well fuck that sucks,” Raihan stated the obvious, Leon groaned and struggled a bit to get up, feeling a wave of drowsiness prod at him.  
“Think, that Gordie, might’ve…. Tried to kill me,” Leon said slowly, taking too many pauses as he gets up on his feet, eyelids threatening to close, “I need to get back to the caravans.”

Raihan was there before Leon fell forward, catching him under his arms and huffeing a little, “we’ll get to the caravans mate, don’t worry about it,” Raihan reassured.

“You won't kill me right?”  
Raihan laughed, “if I wanted to I’d do so long ago mate.”

  
  


* * *

  
  


Leon awoke to the feeling of being on the road again, swaddled in blankets and in a mattress like the ones in the cabin caravans. The pillow his head was laying on was soft and when Leon turned his head into the plush of it and inhaled the firm scent of vetiver and fire, something so strong and woody that Leon practically groaned into the pillow when he breathed it in. It was super familiar, but in a way that made him relax better into the mattress and reach up to grab onto the pillow, pressing his face down into the object.

He heard a faint chuckle and Leon knew he had to open his eyes up and reconfigure his surroundings, but his body and mind felt content on staying in bed feeling the rocking of the caravan and drifting in and out of consciousness. 

Slowly he opened up his eyes though, blinking through the haze of sleep and grogginess that glazed into his skin and bones. As he had assumed, he was laid back in a caravan, eyes wandering over the interior for a second, because it was a little different than the one he was in with Milo and Allister. The wood was warm and engraved with hardened designs of dragons and sharpe angular curvatures. Leon was fixing his stare on the wood, reaching forward to run his digits down on the wood feeling the grain against the polished wood. As his eyes adjusted to the cabin he saw smoke lingering in the air, swirling around and Leon caught the way a burnt vanilla musk scent was in the air. 

Sitting up, Leon felt his bones and joints pop and move under his skin, the blanket slid off of his torso and it took him a solid moment to realize he was just in his undergarments, especially when his bare skin prickled a bit under the cool air. Grabbing the side of the cabin wall, he sits up and looks over the rest of the cabin, blowing at the incense that hung in the air. Rubbing his palm against the side of his face, he caught Raihan’s gaze from across the cabin, sitting back on the wooden bench attached into the wall, the front of his undershirt undone and his hands working out the soot from an ivory and wood. Leon was familiar with the pipe, in that he’s seen Raihan use it, it was old and always being stuffed with finely ground up herbs that left a rather pungent odor in the area. Leon could pick up a hint of it among the incense that was burning from the silver dragonite shaped burner on a secure shelf. 

Leon ignored the pointed look Raihan was giving him as he looked around the room, trying to figure out where his clothes were. His hair was brushed to the front with his hands, a part of him felt a little self conscious as he picked at the bedding to find his clothes.

“Calm down there mate, whatcha lookin for?” Raihan spoke up, voice silken and a tad bit rough, probably from what he had just smoked. 

“Clothes, did you undress me?” Leon responded, the last part coming out as an afterthought as he edged off of the bed carefully. He eased down onto the balls of his feet, he felt too bare for comfort, mainly due to not knowing the details of what happened after he had passed out.

Raihan chuckled and tapped his hand against the wooden side of the table to get Leon’s attention and then gestured to the folded clothes next to him.

“Ah, right,” Leon said under his breath, grabbing his clothes and slowly pulling them on.

“To be fair you were trying to get them off, I only helped the process because you couldn’t get your damn belts off,” Raihan said as Leon pulled on his pants, trying to keep steady as the caravan swayed.

“I don’t remember that,” Leon stated, refastening the belt back onto his trousers, tightening it a tad bit too snugly. He moved onto his undershirt, tying back up the leather tassels before pulling his hair out from under the cloth and tying it back with a band that was around his wrist.

“Not much to tell, found you taking a drink at the royal garden, you mumbled a lot about Gordie trying to off ya so I had the old hag Opal check you out to make sure nothing was wrong with you.”  
Leon furled a brow at that, “why didn’t you take me to a doctor?”

Raihan shrugged, “she was closer and I’ve seen her predict when the flu struck Hammerlocke a year ago. It was fine, she went off on a dime about some wishy washy bloody spiritual ramblings.”

“But I thought you didn’t like Opal,” Leon pointed out, rolling his sleeves up and sitting down at the edge of the bed, “between fae and ice, you’re crossing territories dangerous for a dragon breeder recently Rai.”

Raihan laughed at that, smacking his hand down against his leg, “oy I never said I didn’t like the ol croon! She’s just a lil unsettling, and two you need not to worry over what I can and can’t handle champ.”

Leon scoffed and rubbed at his temples, waving the smoke out from his face, “so did you believe my ramblings over Gordie trying to off me?”

“Nah, I just wanted you to ride with me this time, Milo and Allister are fine, but we’re friends first before rivals and you rejecting a private caravan is way below your status.”

Sighing, Leon palmed at the side of his head, he vaguely remembered Gordie grabbing his arm, trying to steer him somewhere into the depths of Hammerlocke, wether it was murder or sabotage was debatable. Leon was used to the nobles trifle over him, it was all because he was simple peasantry from Postwick, they never seem to try to make him forget it either. The sabotage was more of a point of trying to make Leon budge, political warfare and pride was something that rotted in the noble family bloodline, he could count the many times he was poisoned in his younger years as a squire merely over petty leg-ups over another family branch.

“Ah so selfish,” Leon poked fun at Raihan, grabbing his flask and taking a drink, “got a set of playing cards?”

* * *

  
  
  


After an hours ride shuffling out cards and getting Raihan to curse and pull quick cheap wins, the Caravan had began to slow and the cheers outside of people made Leon start to pull on the rest of his ensemble. Turffield was humble as homey townsides were, it never failed to remind Leon of Postwick, the main differences came from the glyphs and flowers that bloomed in every corner.

Milo held mannorship over the Verde manor and cottages, it was hidden away into the weald that ebbed around the corners of the rich farmland. When the caravans came to a halt Leon was pulling himself outside and stretching his limbs. The sunlight was bright and streaked over the sky bright like a beacon in the lush green world. Vines wrapped around Verde manor, it was an old cottage in aesthetics, but was still big in mass, fit for an earthen king.

Leon went for the caravan where his pokemon were stabled in, letting them out one by one from the long journey. His five pokemon groggily stretched and yawned, dragapult went off weaving through the trees at top speed and aegislash nuzzled up against his hip. Charizard was flapping her wings a few times before flopping over onto the dirt and rolling around in it, siesmitoad did the same, flopping around and flailing her arms around, happy as a toad. Threading his hands over aegislash he laughed when dragapult came back to nudge under his arm affectionately. 

“You lot ready to catch up on practice?” he asked his team, earning gleeful cries to warble up.

“Not before a bath and lunch,” Nessa said, finding her way to Leon through all the commotion, she flicks her hair back, her seaking tucked under her arm.

“I suppose those are in order.”

They were indeed, for both Leon and his team along with the other champions. The manor did not have a large communal set of baths filtered with springwater and engraved with marble like the Wyndon castle. Instead the bath tubs that were available for use was given to the royal family first, Melony, Gordie, Opal, Kabu, Nessa and Allister, Leon gave the last bath to Bea, prompting with the rest of the champions to go on the small hike down to take a dip in the river. The pokemon were being washed off in the back courtyard, Leon saw a glimpse of a blastoise hosing down his dragapult as he, Raihan and Milo clamoured down to the river. 

“I almost want to go back and ask if that bloody blastoise can just hydro pump the dirt off my skin,” Raihan complained as they scaled down the rocky gravel to the bubbling river.

“If I race you to the river will you shut your yap?” Leon provoked Raihan, catching the glimmer in his eye.   
“Oh you’re on champ.”

Milo was sending cautions as Leon and Raihan skidded down the steep graveled hill, Leon was kicking off his boots and flinging his cloak and tunic off, belts were flung open and Leon tossed his undershirt in Raihan’s face as he made int into the cold splash of the riverfront.

“Ah blimey! That’s cold!” Leon hissed, but didn’t back out of the water, instead he forced himself in deeper. Raihan came running up into the water behind him, managing to outdo him by diving in head first. There was a sharp splash from that and Raihan resurfaced, hair slicked back to her head and a grin on his face.

“You were saying?” a cocky tone was settled into his voice as he moved back into the water more, Milo finally catching up and taking his time before joining the two.

“Aren't you freezing?” Leon asked Milo as he scrubbed at his skin, vaguely familiar to his wash dips he’d do as a kid.

“Not really, you get used to the water being stark cold here, it’s fresh off the mountains,” he said, puffing his chest up a little with pride. Milo was everything sweet and wonderful under the sun, but there was a certain quality of how proud he was of Turffeild that was just so charming.

Leon dunked his head back into the water, taking time to scrub his scalp clean, getting all of the oils out to the best of his ability. Tiny magikarp floated by in the river, and the cold water became somewhat bearable the more they spent time in the water. The conversations drifted here and there as they drip dried out on the rocks, Leon squeezing the water from his under trousers, he never liked being nude too much, once was enough for him in a day, maids and servants were different, he had to make himself used to that kind of treatment.

Meanwhile Raihan was the only one that was fully alright with being bare, Milo scuffled into a bush a moment ago. Once Leon had squeezed most of the water out, he let the garment more time to draw ash he braided his hair back. Raiahan scoffed at him, pulling his own under trousers on, finally covering up his arse.

“You ever gonna cut that mop on your head?” Raihan asked, finding his pants somewhere among the shoreline where they had stripped earlier.

Leon hummed a moment, mainly in thought, he’s considered a cut here and there, maybe something that went up to his ears, but it was not really something he was too keen on. He’s had long hair since he was a child, even when it made squire training a tad harder with getting his hair everywhere he still went through with the effore of tying it up, tucking it securely under his helmet or into his clothes. He’s even had the displeasure of having his ponytail taken out during a scrimmage battle with another Wyndon knight, taunting him with it and threatening to cut the hair off with his sword. 

“Not any time soon,” he replied simply, “I like how my hair is, the ladies are fond of it too and it’s fun to braid.”

“Oh yeah I definitely bet the ladies  _ love  _ your hair,” a suggestive smile graced Raihan’s face and Leon felt a small laugh escape as embarrassment painted his face.

“You just really want to disgrace me by talking about my sexual history so openly hm?” Leon spoke evenly, trying to ignore how his initial reaction was playing on his face and damning it to go away.

“Healthy curiosity is all mate,” Raihan chortled, “I've been considering growing mine out, but between you and Piers someone ought to show off a knight in short hair.”

“You’d look more like a tosser with long hair Hammerlocke,” a rugged voice spoke up from behind them.

Leon turned his head, up on the precipice of the rocky slope was none other than Piers, Piers was a knight similar to Leon, Raihan and Nessa, not born into nobility, but earned his spot in one way or another. Piers had unruly black and white hair, striped like a zigzagoon, he marched to his own beat, carrying a longsword on his hip at all times, no shield and tight fitting clothes usually adorned with leather and studs. He had reigned as champion and knight to Spikemunth for years, and he wore it proudly and with humility, especially when Spikemunth was the lesser well off city than it used to be, now the streets were filled with drifting bards and locals in rags. His presence was always known to be one that made Nobles uncomfortable and rile something up within the common folk. 

His linoone was net to his feet, tongue lolled out from his maw, looking that of like a salivating houndour, an intimidating creature, but not too much to those that were familiar with him. Leon was a little surprised to see Piers here, he was not at the opening ceremonies in Wyndon, but it made him glad nonetheless.

Piers kicked a small rock down the slope, as Raihan let out a small laugh, “says the one who is late to the party Spikemunth!” 

Milo’s voice pipped up from where he was changing, “is that Piers?”

“Aye mate, just in time for your local beatdown,” Raihan said and Milo was stumbling out from the bushes, cloak messily put on as he scolded at Raihan.

“What do you mean  _ my _ beatdown? I assure you I won’t be easy to beat this year,” he proclaimed, face pink and voice wavering a bit, “besides, you’re all well seasoned trainers, it wouldn’t be fair if I didn’t give it my all.”

Piers hummed in agreement, before he caught Leon’s gaze in his own. He held him there was he conspicuously moved his tunic to the side, to show Leon the letter tucked into his pants, just barely peeking out from where it was stowed away. It was a silent message, one that informed Leon that he had gotten it, Piers jerked his head to the side, inviting Leon to follow him as he slinked off into the woods.

Leon pulled the rest of his clothes on quickly while Raihan was grilling Milo on training regiments and tactics. Not paying attention to any of that, Leon slid his boots back on and scrambled up the slope, giving a quick, “I’m going back,” before he was wandering off into the woods after Piers.

“ _ Piers _ ?” he whispered, moving branches that were in his way as he ducked and tried not to trip on tree roots.

“ _ Piers where the bloody hell are you _ ?”

It took Leon a moment before a familiar linoone was nipping at his heels and was nudging his head against Leon’s heels to direct him. Piers was none too far from the path, hidden under the shade of an ash tree, playing with the ends of his ponytail between his fingers. Leon shooed his linoone away as he approached the dark knight.

“I must admit I am flattered the top knight of the region cares enough about my absence,” Piers said, slipping his hand away from his hair and into the hem of his pants to retrieve the letter.

“I worry for everyone who is champion,” Leon said simply, “Gordie told me you did not respond to his offer on a ride up to Wyndon.”

Piers, ever the monotonous in expression, let out a small scoff, “the Circhester nobles are blood thirsty fiends, if I had ridden with them I’d be surly dead before I made it to the fjords, especially with the cur  _ Gordie _ .”

Leon can sympathize and understand that well, he would not be surprised to hear that any recent strikes on his life were because of Gordie. He was at least glad Piers was not calling someone who is a noble a cur in public, they would have an excuse to have his head on a pike. He’d reprimand him for that language, but whenever someone like Piers or Raihan expressed these terms in private with him he never felt like doing so, mainly because he did not want to take that freedom from them.

“Fair point, but it was still a concern when you did not show up to Wyndon at all,” Leon pointed out, “it’s still was an official summons Piers, I don’t want you getting in trouble with the crown.”

Piers rolled his eyes, “ did the king notice?”

Leon blinked, unsure how to answer the question, “I believe so, I mean, he did not bring it up to me.”

“Ah,” Piers paused, “so you know nothing.”

Leon was a little baffled at that, but tried to keep a good face, “excuse me?”

“You’re just a pretty symbolic prisoner Leon and I’m sorry to see that you cannot glean that for yourself,” Piers place a firm hand on Leon’s shoulder, “seeing you makes my heart weep, but someday you’ll realize that the king is not your god.”

Piers pulled his hand away and moved to weave around Leon, but the knight grabbed Piers by the arm and held him still. Leon’s head was growing wild for a moment like a wildfire that he was trying to contain, Piers has never spoken to him before like this and it struck a chord in him he did not like.

“Don’t tell me what I’m aware of Piers, I can handle myself, but don’t fucking do this again or else it will not be the Circhester nobles with your blood on your hands,” Leon said low and seriously.

Piers glimpsed at Leon, “is that a threat dear knight?”

“No, it’s a warning to my friend.”

Leon let go of Piers’s arm, thy did not spare each other anymore looks, Peir’s linoone growled at him as they walked by, leaving the forest. Leon just stood there to stew in it for a moment, calming down his breathing and turning on his heel to head back to the manor.

  
  


* * *

  
  
  


Lunch came and went, it was a busy ordeal, the Magnolias were late coming into the estate so once they came in lunch became extended. Leon was in a sour mood, he can feel it in how the feelings wriggled around in his bones like worms. The food was plenty, meat pies and wonderful fruits were placed out on a spread along with some wine, he refused to drink right now, especially before training with his team. He was cooped up at the end of the table, picking at his cup of water, he was itching to go outside and see his team, anything he had going on that bugged him he worked out with his pokemon.

The people around him were Bea, Allister and Milo, so he felt less bothered by the presence and more winded down. Pier’s making it to the manor was well taken, many of the champions were glad to have him join them finally, he didn’t stick around long for lunch and opted out to be shown to his room from what Leon overheard when Piers slipped out of the dining room. 

Leon excused himself after a while, going out to the back hallways of the manor and finding his way into the yard. He strode towards the stables, taking long strides and popping into the area and opening the gates where his pokemon were being held in. His dragapult was the first to press into him, nearly becoming intangible, his small dreepy that floated around him were clawing at Leon’s tunic and belts, giving out small cries for attention. Aegislash was close to him as he drew his pokemon out of the stable, charizard took up the rear as they stepped out into the open yard. 

Training was soft and rolled into a familiar pattern for Leon, it was in a way that calmed him down a notch as he refined his seismitoad’s hydro pump or the way he was training his dragapults dragon rush into making his tail go invisible and touch down out of nowhere. There was never a moment where Leon stopped learning and refining newer and newer things about his team. He has gone to personally train other knight and squire’s pokemon before, which widens his range for what he can teach his team and use as strategy for the different pokemon he will have to battle against.

He worked his charizard the hardest, and by the time he did there was something crackling on Leon’s skin that he couldn’t get off. Running himself and his charizard ragged, Leon couldn’t stop jogging laps around the tree line, sweating and swearing when he felt a tendon twinge in a way that he didn’t like. Needing to feel like he was on top of his game was important to him, but right now his head was jumbled up, a puzzled mess of intrusive thoughts about the king and his own doubts. Leon rubbed at his arms, wanting that feeling that zipped over him like an energized armour to vanish behind him.

When he finally took a break to lean down next to his seismitoad, taking a long drink from his flask did he take the dreamstone out from the pouch. It glittered in the light, there was so many memories and tales for him to account for, there was a pull to them all that he enjoyed, even the ones he felt spooked from. Dreamstones were the biggest mystery still, he knew that the king mined for them, the elder Magnolia was known to research them even, but the query he was stuck upon was why. The image of the goldeen growing reemerged up from his head and Leon began to feel a little dizzy. That was just a hallucination right?

“Leon!”

Taking his gaze away from the stone in his hand he sees Sonia, skirts ruffling in the wind as she jogs towards him. Leon slips the stone necklace back into his pouch and held a hand up, taking his time to get back onto his feet.

“Where the bloody hell have you been?” she asks, a little breathless as she straightens out, “don’t tell me you’ve been training all day.”

Leon flashes a smile, “guilty, I’ve been on the road too long, needed a good stretch.”

Sonia huffed at him, flicking Leon in the shoulder with her fingers, “never mind that then idiot, I’m going out to see the glyphs and you’re coming with.”

Leon stumbled after Sonia, telling his team to go back to the stables, knowing how well his pokemon listened to him, “isn’t that the crop circles burned into the hillside?”

“Yep!” Sonia chirped, pulling Leon towards the front yard where there was a coach awaiting them, “I could use the company and some input from a different perspective, somehow nothing grows there anymore, i wonder if out descendants will even be able to see them too one day.”

“One can hope.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Heya guys, this was a little bit of a filler chapter, but also I'm trying to broaden a few more thoughts and concepts out right now with the story, leave me some comments and let me know what you think please!
> 
> -Jasper


	5. Grassy Terrain

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “On behalf of Turffield’s greatest and most brightest, we hereby bring forth Milo, Vassal of Turffield, Man and great protector of our sacred relics and fields of plenty as our victor honored to accept the challenge from the great King Rose and his own champion!” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> CW: Guilt tripping, and King Rose being a transphobe

Armor was fastened onto Leon’s body ages ago, he wore it proudly like a secondary skin, it was lightweight and starlight, shining in the daylight as the sun pounded down into the stadium. Feet stomped in the stands, a breakneck cheering, energy palpable in the air, Leon breathed it in, it was toxic and sweet. The flowers were budded, most clipped and harvested for the next season, so the Turffeild stadium was nearly bare, the only greenery was the fresh trimmed grass. 

The way the challenges went were important, first the homefield announces their champion, in his stead, a head lady of the town announced Milo. Flowers preserved from the harvest were decorated in her hair as she takes up the mantle, riding on the back of a sawsbuck, the leaves on the horns just starting to turn red, and yellow speckles.

“On behalf of Turffield’s greatest and most brightest, we hereby bring forth Milo, Vassal of Turffield, Man and great protector of our sacred relics and fields of plenty as our victor honored to accept the challenge from the great King Rose and his own champion!” 

She held up the pole in her hand, a flag of Turrfield’s emblem whipped in the wind, a zigzag line of green for a border with a leaf, the emblem of Turffield was simple and dainty. The crowd roars for the introduction as Milo enters into the stadium. Vassals rarely ever were entered as champions, but Milo was not just anyone, not anyone could wear fifty pounds of plated armor, his smile shining brightly as the sun caught in the glare of steel. As Milo was taking the field, a hum and wild beat settled into the stands, a local tune that Leon was familiar with over the years of battling it out in Turffield. It was an old song, once he’s heard of before, it was told to tell a piece of Turffield’s history from the Day of Darkness. The lyrics were not sung out loud, but even just the tune began to hum inside Leon’s blood.

By Milo’s side, standing no taller than his ankles was a bellossom, one Leon was familiar with slightly. Milo’s team was obscure to Leon, usually shifting from different types of pokemon found in Turffield to the grassy plains of Dappled Grove or even Giant’s Mirror. His bellossom was dressed in armor, small and light, befitting to a creature of her stature, the bright light seemed like it was going to be a benefit for the grassy pokemon.

From the honored perch up on the King’s balcony, Oleana can be heard stomping a metal staff on the wood. A hush sets over the stadium as Oleana snaps her fingers and the knight tasked at announcing Leon comes forth on the back of a rapidash, the Wyndon emblem, a blooming rose, held high up on a pole. It raises as the knight from honored hands as he speaks, voice as clear as a bell and decorated similar to how Leon was on the opening ceremony.

“Hail and well met, it it my utmost honor to announce the crowning kingdom of Wyndon’s and King Rose’s Champion Knight, Leon, House of Dande and undefeated reign of champion tournaments!”

Leon stepped out from the waiting wing from under the balcony, striding out and feeling the swish of the chainmail under the exposed plating in his armor. It was heavy and the sun was hot on his back, he had insisted on not doning the cape, capes slowed him down. The audience was lit up again, bright and aflame under the introduction of Leon, like Leon he was considered more popular with the common folk, all champions without noble blood were. Leon was a dream, something possible to touch, but not too much. 

Dragapult was in stride with Leon, there was not an inch of armor on his body, as it tends to faze out from dragapult’s shifting non corporeal form. He floated, belly facing the ground and arms out in a playful manner, tail wagging back and forth through the air with his body and the dreepy hanging from his head were chirruping happily under the sunlight. 

They came to the center of the field, pokemon and armor clinking as they stopped. Milo looking into Leon’s eyes as they grabbed their forearms in a shake.

“I promise not to go easy,” Milo declared, a soft smile creasing over his freckled skin.

“I would be insulted if you did,” Leon replied with a slight chuckle,drawing back with his hand and drawing his sword and shield.

The metal was real, or as real as they would allow, truth be told they enchanted the swords before tournaments like these. To anyone not a noble from a psychic house or having aid from a psychic pokemon, which was not permitted during tournaments pokemon are asked to stay secured in stables for safety precautions, they can be able to see how the odd metal would bend against clash to clash. The substance was made from a harmless allow found while mining fallen stars, the biggest give was that they never glimmered in the sun, the enchanting from a gardevoir was extra security to give the best performance.

Leon’s dragapult was swishing behind him as they stepped back, this is still an official match, matches flow similar to a real life battle, being able to wield steel and command attention and obedience from their pokemon during battle. Two battles will be going on forth, Leon would be fighting Milo while their pokemon followed through orders by word. No opponents are allowed to physically harm the other’s pokemon with their weapons, aiding their own pokemon is commonplace and in its own rights. When aiding your partner through commands or shielding is allowed, along with using abilities from one’s own noble strength or ties with pokemon. This was usually what was called an elemental, people who wield powers similar to certain pokemon, it only shows up in noble bloodlines from years of strengthening the royal bloodline.

When the other side’s pokemon has fainted or one the human fighters have given up or have been struck down five times the match is called and given favor to the still standing battlers. 

The rules were spoken out loud by an official announced from the judge’s own perch, when a foul move or endangering one is played the judges have an announcer call it. Judges differed by who was anointed as such for each tournament, this year lady Magnolia sat in the judge's corner, gray hair curled up along with a few more elders that were a little unfamiliar to Leon. 

“Hey hey!” Leon called out to his dragapult when he started acting up behind him, it was his way of getting his partner to sharpen up and get ready. With a low melodic hum, dragapult swished into position, hovering down low to the ground like a snake in the grass, yellow eyes drawing into slits.

Milo did something similar, he gave a whistle to his bellossom, who was better behaved, but Leon did not miss how she bristled up and changed her stance to mirror Milo’s. With his longsword, Leon held his shield up high and watched Milo use his to bat against the shield in his own arm, gaining excited cheers from the crowd when he did it to the beat of the hum they were humming the melody to earlier.

The sound of the horn blaring to start was the trigger that got Leon’s mouth opening, “u-turn go!” 

He ordered this out to his dragapult, Milo and bellossom seperated and Leon did the same, keeping his eyes affixed to the green shield as he charged. Clashing blades with Milo, Leon using the momentum of his charge, pushes Milo back, hoping to get a budge, instead he got one back. Milo practically pushed Leon back into the air, he landed back onto the ground until u-turn returned to him and dragapult was sent zipping behind Leon, cushioning and putting him back on his feet. He had not even seen his dragapult land the move, but by the way bellossom was further down the stadium, getting up from the attack he knew his dragapult did well.

“Good hustle!” he called as the crowd stomped their feet, he can feel their energy in his veins. Milo was still coming at him, ready to knock Leon back, so outcame his next order, but not from his mouth. 

“Grassy terrain!” 

Milo gave out his order and Leon’s head was already snapping with plan of attack as the grass beneath his feet began to shoot up higher and a fresh earthy scent rose up with it along with a green mist.

Milo came swinging again, “petal blizzard!” he was coming in hot, ready to rush and overwhelm Leon as he swung at his exposed side. 

Leon reacted quickly, blocking with his shield in a fast pivot and then getting feinted by Milo’s shield hitting into his side.

“Assist!” Leon ordered, not the move, but the action, as he was knocked back again, dragapult still there behind him to aid. 

Then the bellossom was letting out a ferocious cry, petals glowing and coming out of nowhere, flooding into the stadium. It hit his dragapult and blew him back by his feet. The grass tripped him up and Leon hit the ground finally, missing his dragapult, he needed to go on defense right now.

“Phantom force! Go go go!” He commanded, holding up his shield in time as Milo bared down with his sword. Risking a foul play, Leon kicked his feet up and knocked Milo’s sword from his hands and rolled away. The storm of petals was unrelenting, it was like the whipping snow, the scent was everywhere, floraland fragrant to a point of nauseating.

“Bellossom solar beam!”

The storm died down, but Leon knew that with the sun beating down below that the solar beam was going to hit as soon as his dragapult pulled up from the shadows. Readjusting his focus, Leon saw the shifting shadows as dragapult melted out of them to land a hit. Bellossom shrieked, the flowers on her head glowing and read to go. Leon slid in last second, holding his shield up to protect his dragapult. The brunt force of a solar beam was one that rattled his bones, he stood his ground, feet digging into the dirt as he and dragapult were pushed back by the force of the solarbeam.

“Let’s take the flow back, use flamethrower in a circle around bellossom,” Leon gave directions to his dragapult as the solarbeam subsided and bellossom was recharging from an order Leon was not even aware Milo gave.

Breaking apart again, Leon rolled away from that side of the battle and right back into Milo, who had retrieved his sword from the grass. They circled each other, Leon twirled his sword around in his hands as a flare of fire burns up next to them where bellossom was. Milo’s eyes darted to the side to see what dragapult was doing and Leon had an opening. He lunged forward, aiming low and sweeping Milo of fof his feet and onto the ground. One for one.

Another solarbeam went off and Leon wasback into the groove, “dragon rush lets go!”

Dragapult was a blur, zipping into the solarbeam, only to split it in two with his tail and hit bellossom right into the flames of the circle she was trapped in. Bellossom gave out a pained cry, sounding weak and close to giving up, until milo bumbled out a new move out of nowhere.

“Moonblast!”

The air seemed to pick up, the grass dying down from it’s limited time from grassy terrain, Leon felt something in his blood wiggle around. The humming came back from the crowd, and Leon swore he could hear the lyrics now.

_ “Take me as no prisoner” _

_ “Do not take me to the night” _

_ “For days on end I am of sunlight!” _

_ “Cast away thee doubt and little faith” _

_ “For our home is old and we are the brave” _

_ “Let the sun shine on through, o’ let it shine” _

_ “In this land we are divine!” _

The lyrics came out as the stomping form the stadium grew louder, pounding into the wooden platforms as bellossom spun around, burnt crisp and summoning a dazzling pink aura behind it, a glowing ball made of stone rising above it’s head. Leon had to think fast, if that his his dragapult then the match would be won and done, neither his dragapult or haxorus could survive that move when it was played by Opal. He would have to compliment Milo for teaching it to his bellossom later, right now he needed a plan. 

“Last resort!”

Leon gave the move before bellossom could finish it’s move, all the while, Leon was now at his dragapults side, shield drawn and ready to take the moonblast. A bright yellow light descended into dragapult as stars glimmered and dragapult zipped out a burst of energy that collided with the moonblast. The light was too bright, so Leon held his shield up to cover his eyes, giving a loud yell as the energy pushed him back.

When the light died down there was nothing but steam floating around the stadium grond, Leon drew his eyes over to where bellossom was. She was laying on the ground, eyes closed and laying unconscious. Dragapult looked nicked up, but was still floating victoriously.

“Winner is Leon! Champion Knight of Wyndon!”

* * *

  
  


The night was a light with celebrations, in the distance in the heart of the town of Turffield were singing and merry cheers. Even though their champion had lost the love for Milo still cheered along with Leon’s victory, but he was not allowed to join any of it. Instead, Leon was taken to the manor with the king. After the battle he and Milo had exchanged a long winded hug in the middle of the field, Milo promising that their next scrimmage would be longer next time. The rest of the tournament was full of local knights and squires, full of jousting and their own tournaments, Leon was able to watch them while doting on his dragapult for the victory. 

It was a quiet ride though, the distance of cheers was only background noise, the carriage was eerily quiet. Leon’s dragapult was settled on the roof, he knew this from when they were let in, the King was in his own carriage while Oleana shared one with him, her eyes critically looking outside from the window. She spoke no word to Leon for a while, that was the uneasy thing with Oleana, when she approved or at least was somewhat at good ends with someone she never spoke up. Her words were usually for the king or to dish out to servants and anyone in the castle that has done an unsatisfactory job, Leon knew that winning the first of many to come of champion tournaments was satisfactory. But the silence still was unsettling, there were no words of congratulations. Leon was not sure if he would of liked hearing that from Oleana. 

When they arrived onto the manor, Oleana held her hand up towards Leon when the carriage doors were pulled open. He took her hand and escorted her out, “the king wishes a private audience with you up in his chambers,” she whispers to him, “it is prudent you do so quietly.”

Leon nodded, letting go of Oleana’s hand as she stepped onto the soiled and expertly paved path of cobblestones. Oleana’s face scrunched a little, “pity that the verde manor is not well kept, it’s as riddled with weeds as the staff.” 

Leon kept his mouth shut as Oleana critiqued the stature of the manor outloud, he thought the charm was nice, suiting for a land of plenty in terms of greenlands. Turffield was never popular with nobles and lords, even more so to the royal servants and the King. 

Being diligent, Leon returned to his chambers after handing his dragapult off to a squire to take him to the stables. Stripping off his armor and pulling on a fresher set of clothes for the evening, all black and his hair tucked into a sloppy bun with a strip of leather he began to climb the stairs. Verde manor was large, but it took a while of sneaking through the hallways to the king’s chambers. There were guards outside, he greeted them quietly, but they had been informed of him visiting the king, they were private forces that were silent and well kept. Leon entered the chambers by knocking and announcing his presence, waiting before a clear “come in” sounded from inside the room.

Feeling his heart in his throat, Leon opened the door and slipped inside. As the king, Rose’s chambers were the more elegant and luxurious than the other chambers and suites, of course it was also done up for the king with beartic and ursaring rugs, pyroar fur lined the bed and silks made from the finest silicoons were draped up and put more as display than anything else. The king was sitting in a grand chair, holding a golden goblet of wine that he nursed diligently as he took a small sip, lips twitching slightly when Leon entered.

Leon took a knee, “my king,” hearing a small sigh escape Rose, the sound of his goblet being placed on the table a low thud. 

“Rise, and come join me for a drink,” the king ordered.

Nodding, Leon rose back on his feet and took the seat adjacent to the king, trying to keep his nerves handled. Pouring himself a goblet half full with wine, he raises his cup to the kings, the glasses clinking against one another.  
“To the never broken victory of Wyndon,” Rose said, “you do us and your hometown proud.”

“Thank you my king,” Leon responds in kind, a soft smile on his face as he brings the cup up to his lips. He takes a mouthful of wine and downs it before setting down his goblet.

“Ah,” the king says, eyes fixed on Leon’s throat, “here, let me get that.”

A drop of wine had dribbled down from his mouth, in a second the sharp metal clawed ring on the king’s finger pressed against the delicate skin of Leon’s throat. He felt his pulse pick up as the king’s rin pressed in a little harder than needed, scraping up against his skin, going against the grain of the stubble that Leon was not sure had gotten out of hand. Staying very still, the king finishes swiping the drop of wine off of his throat and brings his ringed finger back, licking the wine off of the metal, like a corviknight licking blood from its talons.

“Must not waste delicacies, the wine was imported across the sea after all, a gift from an old ancient cellar of the king from Kalos, so it must not be  _ taken advantage of,  _ don’t you agree?” 

Leon nodded, “yes, of course my king,” he swallowed, feeling the weight of the room grow heavy on him.

Rose nodded, closing his eyes with a firm hum, pale green eyes peering open at Leon, “you were not birthed before the darkest days my boy, but you do know how much I labour over my kingdom and how much is depended on me.”

Leon nodded, attentive on listening to Rose as he stood up, walking over the fine furred rugs firmly, walking over to a mirror hung up on a wall. The king smooths his hair back, his crown was stowed away elsewhere, Leon barely remembers seeing him without it on him in the past, but when he wasn’t it would be on nights like this. Where the room was highly charged, the night was darker than the fur of an umbreon and the room felt funny and too hard to read, it made his head hurt. 

“And you know how much I’ve done to you to...contain your private lifestyle,” the king stared at Leon through the mirror, and Leon felt the burning from the kings gaze targeted to his chest and then running down to his crotch pointedly, it left and when back to the piece of hair that was not keeping its place.

Leon felt his face grow red, refusing to look at his reflection when the king spoke to him that way, it was like ice had been injected into his veins as he took another drink, trying to excuse the drink for his body language. It was just another thing he could not help, the uncomfort he was trying to hide, shield away from the gaze if it was turned on him again.

“Yes and I am still grateful for that, my king,” Leon spoke evenly, his throat now slick inside with wine as it warmed his belly, but did not melt the ice.

“Are you?”

The question came with a tone that felt shocking to Leon as the king looked back at Leon through the mirror. He turned around, placing his steel clawed rings against his chest, drumming against his robes, a bit of flesh exposed above his collarbone. Leon steadied his breathing as stealthily as he could, feeling panic creep into his bones.

“Do I need to remind you,” the king spoke as he walked back towards the table, snatching up his goblet and opening his arms out, “of how I staved off the knights from seeing your first blood and given you doctors from Kanto to Johto to stitch your body up the way you  _ somehow _ preferred.”

Leon flinched back in his seat, he could not help it, it felt like a firm smack rushed into him and it hit harder than how Milo did on the field earlier. He bit his lip, trying to not feel the raise of anxiety and need to flee as it quaked in his bones. Instead he looked away, towards a tapestry hung up on the wall with a painting of a vileplume on it. He was more fascinated by the stitching on it as the king stomped his foot upon the ground.

“Even now  _ he _ does not look his way when I am addressing him, Leon look this way when the king  _ speaks _ ,” Rose raised his voice and Leon snapped his head to look at the man.

“Good, much better,” he said with a growl in his voice, “to show me how thankful you are, I want you to keep an eye on Piers, I want reports sent to Oleana and not a word of this to anyone else. You’re dismissed.”

The king finished his point by tossing the rest of his wine into the roaring fire in the fireplace, not dousing it out enough. The smell of wine filled the room, and Leon got up on weighted feet, feeling his chest contract as he stormed out quietly and quickly, striding down to his chambers and locking himself away for the night.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> -so i made a change in the tags for this chapter-
> 
> Hey y'all let me know what you think in the comments!
> 
> I encourage you guys to check out my tumblr because I like to reblog some images that are the aesthetics for the settings now, like Verde Manor, so if you wanna check that out heres the link: https://euphoriawriter.tumblr.com/


	6. Tidal's Shifting

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “I think I’m going inside now, have a good night lady Opal,” Leon said in response, mainly because he did not know how to respond to that to begin with. Without seeing her do it, Opal grabbed Leon’s arm as he pushed the doors open.
> 
> “Ah good, now you can make me tea,” she declared, pressing Leon towards the dining hall and into the kitchen with strength that precedes the expectations of her old exterior, maybe she did toss him into the ocean.
> 
> “I can get you a maid to fix you a pot,” Leon insisted.
> 
> “Oh no no no, it would be rude to wake the sleeping, I’m sure you can make a good cup of chamomile!” she chided and insisted.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So the rating has officially changed as we get into some heavier topics folks, like full warning in advanced because we're describing some fun trans details along the way guys!

When Leon woke up in the morning, head pounding and pumping with blood, he felt a little deranged. He sat up and poured himself water from the pitcher on his nightstand and drank the glass in one sitting, rubbing a hand over his thigh while trying to steel himself. He needs a bath, so he draws one for himself, not wanting to bother anyone for this, he just needed to feel hot water on his skin right now.

Once he had filled the tub he sank into it, scrubbing his skin and feeling the heat seep into his muscles, it was almost unbearable, but the sharp heat kept him relaxed enough. The hot water was swishing around as he moved his hand through it, he felt his energy buzzing under his skin. Water had always calmed him down, just enough to let him sort his thoughts while he focused more on the kings orders. 

It was a secret though. Both the order and the details of the one sided conversation last night. Leon could have lived in Postwick all his life, his family treated him as the lad he is when he was small and insistent on it. Even his grandmother had taken his word as truth,  _ “children are more aware of these things than we think.”  _

He was happy to wear his oversized clothes and be covered in mud like the other little boys that trampled through the fields playing tag. Hell, Hop’s always known him as an older brother to look up to, and he was. 

Leon lifted his hand up from the water, feeling a hangnail bothering him. He fusses with it, picking at the annoyance until his finger was bleeding and he dropped his hands down into the water, leaning his head back against the rim of the tub.

_ First blood. _

When it had happened he had nearly screamed and cried for his mother, scared and awake in the shared squire chambers with other young men. No one else was up to his knowledge, but the blood had shocked him back into a firm reminder of who he was. First blood at twelve was a cruel age for any youngling with a fertile body, marriage, dowry and fat with childbirth. He had vomited into the water pitcher and had to tell someone, he was only a child, so he covered up his bed, pulled a fresher pair of pants up high enough to hide the blood soaked cloth and knocked worriedly on Oleana’s bed chamber. The guards were hot on his feet and trying to pull him away, but Oleana took one look at him and instantly knew what was going on.

The king was informed shortly after, Oleana snipped at Leon for hiding such details, at first they wanted to air out the truth, but Leon begged so hard his head hurt and his tears wouldn’t stop. Something in him knew that it was dangerous, knew that somehow it would ruin the trust he had built with the knights and squires, something in him was willing to go through anything to keep that secret locked shut. He knew how some of the older knights would talk, about fucking women until they cried and bled, crude words that were slung around carelessly around the covenant of squires. It bothered him, it always did, but he knew he would be given a different treatment and coming from a backwater village in the south was hard enough in the Wyndon knight training where most were from noble blood connections. 

His first blood was his last, apothecaries studying fertility had made potions and elixirs for him, they referred to his “womanly body” as a condition or a sickness. Some of the apothecaries made him wary, he always kept his sword on him when he was alone in the room with them, as a reminder of his own skills. 

Leon pulled up from the bath, water cascading down from his body as he rose too quickly, he pulls the plug and drains the bath. He pulled his long hair back, tying it into a ponytail as he hopped in place, trying to keep his muscles moving. His muscles and head felt better as he dried himself out nude on his bed, stretching just to feel his body move. 

There was nothing kind about the process of when a surgeon cut him open, procedures removing fat was practiced in other regions, from an ancient plague that attacked and filled the body with lumps. Corpse doctors was what the doctor from Kanto was called when he had been brought in when he was fifteen. The concoctions were not enough to hold Leon’s other features at bay, the doctor had a beautician doctor from Johto join him and they reconstructed the fat out from Leon’s chest. It was as perfect as they could get, having aid from a gothitelle and blissey. The scars still remain, but no one questioned them, it came naturally apart of his body’s physical history of battle scars. 

Except the king never forgot, these were things the king brought back up to Leon, reminders of how much the kingdom had given to let him be the man he is. He hormonal intakes were normal, he had sets of potions for them in vials stashed in his luggage, one dose for the week, taken with another herbal supplement. They worked well, his adams apple was pronounced when he was sixteen, and he laboured over growing facial hair for years too, needing to maintain  _ something _ .

When he was done stretching, Leon pulled on his clothes and heads out of his room, stopping by Pier’s room, making sure no one was around when he pressed his ear against the door. There was no creak of floorboards inside, nor the rustle of any of his restless pokemon, so he peeked inside. Piers was not in his chambers, Leon closed the door and headed down the stairs, the sound of breakfast clamouring in the dining hall was pronounced as he drew near. Leon decided to pop in, mainly to see if the knight of Spikemunth was in there, but it was not that easy of course because Sonia was there to greet him.

“Leon!” she called at him, her face a bit red as she lifted her glass, “we thought you’d never join us!”

Flashing a million watt smile Leon chuckled and shook his head, “I’m good-”

“Oh nonsense!” Melony rang in, leaning over her plate on the other side of the table, “come join us for a champions breakfast!”

Leon looked over the dining hall, Piers was not there, so instead he leaned over and plucked a nanab berry, “I’ll graciously decline thank you.”

Sonia whined from her spot as Leon left the dining hall, slipping into the hallways and pacing through them, head reeling with where Piers could be. He went out into the yard, roaming through the lush garden and forestry of the manor before heading to the stables. Leon heard someone behind the stables when he entered them, so he kept low and quiet, hiding behind a hay bale and keeping his ears opened.

“My dear honchkrow be careful when delivering this,” Pier’s voice came out, Leon held his breath, peering around the hay bail, seeing Piers next to a window with a giant honchkrow perched on his gloved arm. He was securing a slip of parchment rolled up tightly onto the honchcrow’s leg. 

Piers pet the downy feathers on the honchkrow’s breast and rubbed his fingers under its chin, the honchkrow cooed and chirped happily under the attention. 

“The weather is going to be terribly horrid, so make due and send this home to Spikemunth so mum doesn’t worry, off with you,” Piers said, leaning his arm outside and letting the honchkrow fly off out of the stables. 

Pulling his head out from where he was watching, Leon hid himself into the hay deeper, hearing Pier’s footsteps draw near. He felt his heartbeat pick up as Piers walked right by him and out of the stables, not breathing until the door was closed shut behind him. 

Leon felt a pit of guilt in his stomach, it gnawed at him as it dawned on him that he just spied on someone he considers a friend, an ally even. He never slunk around like this before, it felt wrong. Before Leon knew it he was opening up the stalls to his pokemon and were calling them out to train, feeding the nanab berry in his possession to them, his hunger was put aside to train dragapult to follow his directions more sharply by ordering him to weave through the trees and brambles in the woods. 

He called his seismitoad to train up her power whips, until he was yelling at her to stike at him instead of the practicing spot on the ground. Pounding his fists against his chest and giving her the direct order while he dodged out of the way. It was not until someone was dragging him out of the heat did he realize he was shaking. It was Nessa, looking a bit frazzled and staring at Nessa bewildered right before she smacked him with a quick open palm.

“What is  _ wrong  _ with you?” she snapped at him in a low voice, blue eyes rolling in crude waves as she grabbed him by the collar of his shirt, “dont  _ ever  _ have me catching you pull this  _ shit  _ with your pokemon again Leon,do you hear me?”

Leon was in shock and anger quickly flooded into his system, but he was too wired to his happy disposition that he had ended up smiling at Ness and pushing her hands off of his shirt too casually.

“I don’t tell you how to train lady Nessa,” he felt the words tumble out, “I suggest you keep to yourself.”

That was the wrong set of words apparently because Nessa was back in his face, “no, look, you’re worrying Sonia and frankly you’re acting like a bit of a  _ freak _ ,” she hissed that last word out and Leon had to step away from that, even though Nessa followed, her rage storming and palpable like moisture from the rain.

“Everything’s alright and your wife can surely come to me with those concerns, not you,” Leon pointed out, going back to his seismitoad and ordering her to practice with charizard on dodging. He focused his gaze on how quick his seismitoad maneuvered around on the grassy terrain, dodging charizard’s claws as they swiped at her.

“Yeah well she doesn’t have to keep babysitting a man like he’s her goddamn husband,” she spits and Leon spares Nessa a glance.

“Jealousy does not suit you Nessa, do not take it out on me.”

“Then don’t take your self flogging, masochistic attitude out on your fucking pokemon Leon!” 

The sparring continued, a flare of fire flashed up and Leon was slowly turned his body towards Nessa. His mouth moved quickly all at once, “I would never hurt my fucking pokemon Nessa, are you fucking bloody insane?”

“People and pokemon don’t need to be hurt by your hand on them if they see you doing it to yourself Leon, don’t be so selfish to think your pokemon didn’t want to hurt you.”

Nessa turned on her heel and stormed off after that, Leon looked over at his pokemon sparring. He felt tired, too tired to stand, but instead he planted himself there and fixed his gaze on the spar. Every move, every play, breathing in and out through his nose even when his eyes started to sting. At least they would be leaving for Hulbury that night.

* * *

  
  
  


Raihan had also attempted to seek out Leon during the day, but Leon had turned him away from the company, almost snipped at him. He was just in a foul mood, eventually Leon gave training a rest to go pack up his things for the ride to Hulbury. The province his grandmother hailed from, he thought about her on their ride through the night, slipping his fingers into the pouch with the dreamstone necklace. 

He had almost forgotten that others commonly outside of Postwick referred to them as wishing stars, the stories were still tied to them from long ago. Spoken by an old mouth and warm smiles, his grandmother was now just a memory, she had passed while he was training in Wyndon. Not having enough time to travel down to see her while she was bedridden, it was one of the bigger guilts he held in his heart. 

Arriving into Hulbury at sunset Leon retired to his chambers immediately when they arrived onto Azure Manor, an old seaside manor that had ruins of one of many castles taken by the darkest days. He walked past his allies and fellow champions with his head at least held high, trying to exude confidence enough to carry him to bed. Leon conked out immediately, eyes shut closed and his body lulled by the sea to sleep.

* * *

  
  


_ A crash of black water rushes down onto Leon, sweeping him into a wave of the salty sea, lungs filling with the brine as he hacks it out. Another wave rolls down on top of him and Leon is pushed down below the waters, down deep into the blue depths, arms floating above his head and his hair streaming along the sides of his vision like purple seaweed. Bubbles floated up, he can see nothing but the ocean for miles, midnight blue and rolling with the waters as the currents moved.  _

_ Leon felt breathless, suspended in the water, not floating, not moving, just held in place, like he was waiting for something. _

_ “....Leon...” _

_ A serene voice spoke to him, it echoed from the depths of the ocean, below his feet where the water drew pitch as night. There was something familiar about it’s voice, calling out to him again and again. _

_ “Leon...no fear here...we…” _

_ Tiny dots appeared around his vision, Leon did not move, only stared below as a roaring in the distance built up in his ears. _

_ “...Courageous man, we wait, we wait, come home, bring her.” _

_ The voice became louder and more clear, but with the clarity came the disorder to it, like an overlay of other voices speaking out. The dots around his vision began to multiply, coming out from the depths and floating up like bubbles. _

_ “Leon...we’re waiting, always waiting, miss...you.” _

_ Black orbs floated up, coming near and as they did, the dots began to shape as them, the closer they grew to the light the less black they were. They appeared to have some sort of tails and then...Then hundreds of them were staring at him with horizontal pupils or gouged out eyes, glowing sea green and looking right at him. _

_ “ _ **_C o m e_ ** _.” _

* * *

  
  
  


Gasping for breath, Leon awoke with a startled shock, but not to his bed chambers, instead he was in chest deep water in the pitch dark of night with only the moon above to light his way. Dazed and confused, Leon turned around and found shore, and turned back towards the endless ocean. His body was tingling, possibly from the cold water, but something felt odd, something in his bones was practically singing to him in the water.

Clambering back onto the rocky shore, Leon was chilled to the bone, sopping wet and stinking like the sea. His hair was practically matted to his back and walking was more than an uncomfortable experience without shoes. The dream came back to him, like a splash of ice cold water, the eyes and the voices. It sent shivers down his spine and filled him with nausea and more questions than answers. If anything it felt like a prophetic dream, but none of it made a lick of sense. Not the dream or the spying.

He found the cobblestone road and took it up to the seaside Azure Manor, it was lit up like a beacon in the night for him to find. The guardsmen greeted him, not inquiring Leon on his disheveled and soaked state, but as he drew to the front door to the manor he was greeted by the giggles of an old lady.

Opal was standing outside of the door, furs pulled tight to her frame, a smile on her face as mischievous as any. If it were not for the fact of her noble status, Leon would not consider the possibility of her attempting to drown him, but she was also old and there would be no way she would be strong enough to do so.

“Evening dearie,” she greets Leon, tapping her parasol on the ground, “how was it?”

“How was what?” Leon asked, shaking like a leaf in autumn as Opal kept him from going inside.

“The seduction of course,” she said simply, tilting her hat.

“There was no such thing,” he said quickly, a little aghast with shock from the older woman’s words.

“It’s not always a thing of sexual luring my child, your spirit knew where it wanted to be so it moved as such to the temptation,” as Opal spoke she grabbed her adder stone to get a good look at Leon through it. “Ah, but you’re still not free, that is fine, maybe you can learn from this.”

“Pray tell,” Leon began, feeling his teeth chatter, “what is there to learn from sleep walking into the ocean?”

Opal grinned at him, flashing her shiny rows of teeth, a bit crooked, but still charming.

“Now you can learn it’s ways of seducing others of course!”

“I think I’m going inside now, have a good night lady Opal,” Leon said in response, mainly because he did not know how to respond to that to begin with. Without seeing her do it, Opal grabbed Leon’s arm as he pushed the doors open.

“Ah good, now you can make me tea,” she declared, pressing Leon towards the dining hall and into the kitchen with strength that precedes the expectations of her old exterior, maybe she did toss him into the ocean.

“I can get you a maid to fix you a pot,” Leon insisted.

“Oh no no no, it would be rude to wake the sleeping, I’m sure you can make a good cup of chamomile!” she chided and insisted.

Opal was insistent on Leon doing this for her so he sat her down on a stool, retrieving the pot from the cupboards after searching them for one. He filled the pot with water form the reserves in the kitchen as Opal went on, chatting about the art of tea stewing as Leon shifted through the leaves in the storage for the right ones. He used a bit of flint on the stove, lighting the fire up and crushing the leaves into the strainer in the pot. Now he needed an excuse to head to bed.

“Opal that sounds lovely, but I should go take these clothes off before I catch a cold,” he spoke firmly, making a point by squeezing water out from his sleeves and letting it hit the ground.

“Oh pish posh, we’re inside and it’s warm,” she smiled, moving the adder stone up to her eye again, peering at Leon with a certain spark in her. “Just keep close to the flame, go on.”

Leon sighed and shifted closer to the stove, at least it was actually warmer, but his damp clothes were still chilling him to the bone. He thought he was going to catch a cold for sure when tiny footsteps entered the room. A sleepy fresh faced boy, with a ghastly hovering around his shoulders stepped into the kitchen and looked between Opal and Leon.

“Oh...Leon, you’re wet,” Allister confirmed outloud to him, “why...a-are you wet?”

It was a rare occasion when Allister did not wear his mask, the child always wore it to his face, for reasons that Leon could not fathom, although with the rumor mill surrounding his family there was plenty to think of. The Leah nobles had an odd history, Cadence Leah was the ruling lady of Stow-On-Side that beheaded Allister’s father before he was born due to infidelity, from which Bea was bastardized from. Instead of mopping up Bea and her mother though, Cadence had taken them in as family and as far as rumors went Allister wore a mask because his face reminded his mother of his father. There was even word that when Cadence Leah had died with influenza that Allister had watched the life drain from his mother’s eyes. Nothing more than whispers, Leon would never inquire Bea or Allister about the mask, or the origins of their family trauma seeing as some of the truth came from the example of Allister being an underaged heir.

Leon cleared his throat, “I fell into the sea,” he replied, “must of lost my footing.” 

Opal snorted, “don't lie to the child,” she scolded Leon and turned towards Allister, “the  _ ocean _ was calling him.”

Allister tilted his head to the side, and took a seat at the table in the kitchen by Opal, looking towards Leon, “is that true?”

He nodded, “yes, sorry to lie, it was more like sleepwalking.” 

“Ah, but it was not sleepwalking dear,” Opal chidded as the pot began to boil louder. Leon grabbed the pot and pour the tea for Opal and an extra few cups for him and Allister, joining the two at the table.

“Then what exactly was I doing unconscious and walking out into the sea?” he pressed, drinking the hot liquid raw as opal added sugar clumps for herself and then Allister’s cup. She took her time with delicate bony fingers, insisting that the sugar will bring out more flavor to Allister as she plopped another clump in. She stirred her own tea with a spoon, bright milky eyes cast down over the swirling liquid before they peer up at Leon in a way that was too eerie.

“What am I Leon?” she asked simply.

“Lady Opal Ballon of the B-”

“No not that, not my title, what is it that I and kin like Allister here posses?”

It clicked in Leon’s head after a moment, “you’re an elemental of course.”

“Correct! But more importantly, what is it that I can do?”

Leon shrugged, he had no idea to put bluntly, he’s seen her interact with many pokemon, but never anything he thinks was an expression of her abilities. Chewing on his lip he shakes his head, drawing blanks, “I have no clue.”

“Ah, not too sharp eh? Well Leon, I’ll tell you, I can pull from the fae,” she said simply, tapping her spoon on the table firmly, “a passive ability at best, but one nonetheless.”

Allister nodded at her, “passive... abilities are more common,I-I...I can talk to the dead.”

Now that was new for Leon to hear, mainly from the standpoint that he had no clue what Allister’s affliction was when it came to elemental prowess. 

“That’s actually bloody amazing,” he said to Allister, who gave a small smile.

“Sometimes they sing me to sleep, it’s very comforting,” Allister spoke, voice small, “Opal is amazing as well, I’ve seen her revive pokemon with kisses.”

Opal giggled and patted Allister on the back, “now don’t go talking all that sweet on me boy, sometimes ladies like myself like to keep their cards close and you should too.”

“That’s great and all, but what does that have to do with me in the ocean?”

Leon got up, pouring himself another cup while Opal sucked on her teeth. She lifted her cup up to her lips, taking a drink and muttering how the temperature was good now to Allister.

“Well it’s simple, fae is of the spirit my dear! The forces we cannot explain all the way through, like how the moon cycles or otherworldly wonders. I woke up because there was a disturbance in the manor and when I found it it was latched onto you like a baby to a teat.”

Leon scrunched his face up, “then why didn’t you remove it?”

“Ah ah!” Opal spoke up, “remember, I have passive powers, I cannot harm or be able to remove those things, so instead I waited for you to return.”

Leon’s eyes grew wide as he heard this, trying not to let his mouth gape open at this reveal, “I could have died!”

“Nonsense! There was no malicious intent! If there was I would of sent a guard after you, but you, my boy, you have more to you then you let on. Maybe it would be good to find yourself here, the fae seem to really enjoy your company after all.”

  
  


* * *

  
  


Leon took Opal’s advice into consideration, the Hulbury tournament was not for another day so when Leon woke up he did not go out and train. The thoughts of what Nessa had snarled at him ran him cold, he needed to keep his friends and partners in his best interest next time he was about to get more reckless. Then the reminder from Oleana slipped under his door,  _ Piers _ . Sighing, he jogged in place a few times, trying to get the nerves out, slapping his face he felt a little bit of fatigue. He had gone to bed nude and covered all the blankets on top of him, so it was a miracle that last night he did not catch a cold, but then he remembered how he was not eating well. 

He made his way downstairs after dressing, azure manor was larger than he remembered, twisting hallways and parts of the manor that bled into the old castle, it was almost like a labyrinth. Then he bumped into Raihan, who blinked down at Leon with sleepy eyes for a moment before realizing who he was and mumbling, “good morning,” and trying to shuffle off. 

Something in Leon’s chest clenched hard and he followed after Raihan, “hold up there mate,” he stopped him by grabbing his arm.

“Whats up? Where’s the fire?” Raihan asked with a lazy bemused smile.

“No, uh, fire? No no no,” Leon said quickly, feeling a bit flustered, “I wanted to apologize for earlier, I’ve been acting like a complete arsehole, forgive me?”

Raihan’s grin widened, “of course mate,” he said, moving his arm out of Leon’s grip to sling it over his shoulders and pull him close, “as long as you tell me what you were doing getting to bed so bloody late!”

Leon shuffled his feet around as they walked down the stairway, “ah nothing much, just out for a late dip?”

Raihan barked out a laugh, “in this weather? At night? You’ve really gone and lost the plot huh?”

“I did not! I can’t even explain it without sounding completely bonkers, Opal and her elemental abilities said I was spirited away in my sleep or something by fae.”  
Puffing up his chest a little, Raihan weezed out a laugh, voice wavered in his throat, “whats up?” Leon egged on, “you got something in that head of yours?”

Raihan shook his head, “oh Leon, Leon, Leon,” he tsked, “do you ever shut up?”

“I should be the one asking that you tosser,” Leon prattled back with him on the way to the dining hall.

Breakfast was spread out by the plenty, like most boutied meals from the manors, this one was staved with more fresh seawater fish and everyone was glad to see Leon come down for a bite. Gordie was loudly greeting him, assuming that he was going to sit next to the murderous gremlin, which of course he was not going to do any such thing. Instead he took by Raihan and Sonia, falling into the swing of things as usual. He apologized to SOnia for his recent actions and Nessa as well, he knew there was still hot water between them and Nessa said, “we’ll work out the rest tomorrow on the sea pretty boy.”

There was something that revived him with getting back into cahoots with his friends, something that righted up his brain, but Leon knew, he knew that it was holding the clouds at bay. He knew in the way Piers stole a glance his way across the breakfast table or when Oleana passed by the window of the courtyard, giving him a side eye. Leon knew there was more to come, a storm of sorts, he can feel it in not just the people but also the winds began to pick up outside and how Raihan was raving about the weather. 

Leon finished up breakfast and caught Raihan by the arm, “let’s go out for a walk,” he announced.

“In the bloody rain and wind?” he asked, curious and gleaming at Leon with wonder.

“You love storms and I’m taking some advice, consider it a challenge if you will.”

Raihan licked his lips, nodding, “alright then, I’ll get properly dressed, wait for me?”

* * *

  
  


The rain and wind really did pick up as they headed down to the rocky shores of Hulbury, the clouds swirling above head and the pour coming down harder, but Raihan was alight with energy. He always was, ever since they were young, there was something about the draconic man himself that was in tune with the more violent natures of the land, sea and sky. And Leon adored him for it, even now when he went running down the shore, rocks and gravel churning under his boots as he laughs, crouching with an invigorating excitement as a giant wave swells, rises and crashed into the shore, spraying over them.  
“Yeah!” he screams out into the sea, howling and hopping around, it was childish and silly, but Leon couldn’t help but join him, reeling his head back and screaming out into the ocean as another wave crashed. The ocean spray fell onto Leon’s skin, it felt nice, it felt like last nights dream, but instead minimized into tiny droplets that wriggled on his skin. Words, memories, he could vaguely smell his grandmother, she always smelled like the sea...Lemongrass and lavender...no vanilla? There was a scent that he had almost forgotten, it always hung around his grandmother, it felt stronger right here right now. A smell like something deep in the floral tones, long forgotten, but so familiar that it made the blood in his bones hum.

“I’m gonna race you,” Leon declared, whipping towards Raihan that looked at him with interest, he points down the shore at a rock out a few feet into the ocean, far down the coast a little ways off, but there was still water engulfed around it.

Raihan scoffed, “ok now I think you’re actually mad! If you get in the water you’ll be swept away into the ocean.” 

“No.”

There was something in Leon that said that so firmly, Raihan gave him a funny look and reached towards him, “Leon don-”

Leon took off, running down the shore, shouldering past Raihan who cursed and took off after him. His mind was racing with his feet, pounding along the rocks, not sure what had gotten into him, if it was good or not, but there was a chant playing in the back of his head. One his grandmother would hum, a hymn of sorts or he was not sure if it was one, but it thrummed in his chest, painted the way the waves crashed over the rocks more clearly. The wind whipped his hair back like a purple tail, and the sound of hooves echoed in his head. 

Then he was taking off, jumping into the cold ocean water, drenching himself again and feeling the water chilled him to the bone, except he accepted it this time. He tossed out his superstitions in his mind in this moment, steeling his arms up to cut through the water, not remembering the last time he had to swim before yesterday night. The motion was simple, like cutting through water, the tide was insistent and grinding into Leon. It was forcing him back, but the voice came back, disoriented and gravley, splashing into him.

_ “Leon…” _

It was so simple, but as he reached the rock, Leon felt the crashes of wave after wave, pulling himself up onto the rock, it was slimy and wet with more ocean showering down on him from the crashing water trashing onto it. Leon held on tight, grappling onto the rock, not to far from shore, but far away enough to be considered bad if it were anyone else...But why anyone else?

The question was left up in the wind, Leon’s wet hair slapped down against his back and stray strands curled against his face. It felt different than last night, instead he felt like he took something back, although he’s not quite sure what yet, but it felt good.

Raihan was teetering back and forth on the shore screaming his lungs out and Leon called back over the roaring ocean and the harsh winds. The rain pelted down on him, but it carried a different energy than the sea did, Leon leaned forward and dove back in, swimming back to shore.

He washed up with the waves, the journey back being easier, yet somehow harder, like something was pulling him in again. Leon’s body washed up against the rough gravel, it felt like being spat back out onto land with an unexpected cruel thunk. His hands scraped against the rocks, but he’s never felt more stable, especially when Raihan grabbed him up from under his arms, away from the ocean and hauling him to his feet. Raihan was always strong, strong enough to pull fifty pound magikarp out of the river or even Sonia when they were kids. He always remembered being jealous of Sonia when Raihan would pull her up in his arms or sling her over his shoulder, wasn’t sure why at the time, still a stranger to the reason to this day.

Leon felt his feet hover above the ground for a moment, firm hands holding him still and setting him down, still on his sides, afraid he might fall over or was too unstable. Maybe he was a little unstable, but his head’s never felt so clear before. Raihan’s eyes were wild, exuberant and he smelled like smoke, the brine mixed with the rain and breeze, just like a storm.

“Are you mad?!” Raihan yelled over the howling air, hands slipping over the wet cloth of Leon’s tunic, scrambling, as if unsure if he should hold him there or not.

Leon beamed, “yeah but I  _ won _ , again,” he bragged a little at the last part, moving his arm up to press Raihan’s hand against his side,  _ it’s ok, I don’t mind. _

“You’re a fuckin…” Raihan shook his head, his dreads flinging more water around as he did so, as if he was shaking off some anxiety, his fingers pressed into him a little.  _ I’m not sure. _

“I’m what  _ beast _ ?” Leon’s lips curled up in a smile, mouth wide and eyes alight with mirth, throwing back Raihan’s term of endearment.

Then Raihan’s hand was cupping Leon’s cheek, “you’re fucking stupid,” no malice in his words as he then proceeded to collide his mouth down against Leon’s.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Let me know what y'all think in the comments please! I sure do love a good cliffhanger, how about you?
> 
> I have a fun tumblr where I sometimes reblog some of this fic's aesthetics or reblog ship pics, you can check it out here: https://euphoriawriter.tumblr.com/
> 
> -Love Jasper


	7. Drednaw's Wake

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “Earth to Leon,” he spoke, the hand on his cheek patting him a few times to break Leon from his slight daze.
> 
> “Wha?” 

There’s something almost hypnotic about the way Raihan’s mouth slotted against Leon’s that made him inhale deeply and feel the rush of endorphins flare up. It was like getting struck with pure lightning, swept him up and Leon had no true purpose with what to do with his hands. The naive truth found him in full because when Leon was gasping against his mouth, but not moving away, no, he welcomed the barbarous tempest that Raihan was. His hand on Leon’s cheek was warm and his mouth searing and when he breathed in there was that blaze, flicker of sandahlwood and he could faintly taste the fruit on his lips from this morning.

But what about his hands? What does he do with them? He hasn’t kissed anyone in that long or often, he kept things chaste usually, never too far. Leon could never risk that with a stranger, let alone anyone else.

Raihan’s fingers danced over his side and Leon let out a low hum as they parted, Raihan drawing his tongue up over his lips firmly in a way that made Leon feel his legs shake a little with want. A feeling he thought was hidden somewhere, but it didn’t, it was just waiting in the shadows and creeped out more when Raihan chuckled, staring at Leon’s face with curiosity.

“Earth to Leon,” he spoke, the hand on his cheek patting him a few times to break Leon from his slight daze.

“Wha?” 

Chortles escaped Raihan’s mouth in response to Leon, it was baffling how many expressions his face could make before he’s leaning away in a fit of laughter. Leon felt flushed with red hot self conscious humiliation, he took his gloves off and began smacking Raihan with it across his shoulder. He let out a shocked cry, flinching away from Leon, but still laughing his damn ass off!

“Can it you bloody chuffed arsehole!” he hissed venomously at Raihan, smacking at him more wildly.

Cackling, Raihan clapped his hands together under the assault, “sorry sorry!” he tried to apologize, but it did not sound as genuine when he couldn’t stop laughing. So Leon stopped smacking him and instead grabbed Raihan by the collar to reconnect their lips, this time devouring his laughter that died quickly with a pant of breath. This time Leon felt a little less embarrassed and gladly kept him captive on his mouth, and daring himself to taste his lips against his tongue, swiping out and biting on Raihan’s lower lip.

“Fuck,” Raihan responded in a quick hot breath as Leon let go of his lip between his teeth, leaving a quick chastised kiss on his mouth.

“Don’t laugh at me, it’s quite mortifying to be made fun of so openly,” Leon said, setting his gold gaze on Raihan in a way that was meant to burn.

Raihan gulped audibly, a bit of nerves returning to him as he fidgeted with his rain damp tunic, like the weight of his actions had finally struck down and Leon was also trying to pick up the pieces. The kiss, felt rightly placed, there was a captivating force to it that Leon could not deny, but how his feelings felt towards Raihan was frazzled. Everything was knotted inside of him, shoved off to the deep recesses of Leon to make room for duties and training, but this was complicated the ball of emotions in him. 

He reached forward and placed his bare palm on Raihan’s face, this was his friend from blood, before everyone knew him as the champion knight of Galar. The person that roared at threatening wild pokemon that would advance on their camp, someone the public called his rival, but Leon would call his closest friend in confidence. So why was this a little hard? Was this just a physical attraction or more?

“I uh,” Raihan spoke up, calmed a little by Leon touching him, something that calmed and reassured Leon that he was alright. 

“Let’s head back,” Leon interrupted, practically blurting the words out, “we’ll both be bed ridden if we keep messing around out here.”

Raihan nodded, the look in his eyes looks a little grateful for the excuse. They raced back to azure manor, clambering into shelter soaked to the bone and blown in from the wind. The tangles in Leon’s hair would take forever to brush out, but it was a refresher he needed.

* * *

  
  


The maids scolded them for bringing the storm and the sea in with them when Raihan and Leon got back from their walk. Leon got whisked off by a maid that was hellbent on boiling Leon alive in his bath, but at least with it he got himself out from the cold and wet forces outside. The storm detoured the training and prep before tomorrow, but Leon could work with that, everyone needed a break, it was good not to burn out too quickly when he had seven more tournaments to battle in.

Leon took some time to shadow Piers again, following the dark knight through the manor and nearly losing him a couple of times along the way. They have not spoken since their talk in the woods, something that still left a bad taste in Leon’s moth. Even as he was taking time to write the update to Oleana for the day, the taste only grew worse.

He was striding to the chambers that Oleana resided in, making sure to deliver the note to one of the guards outside her room as usual when the prince stormed out of there. Prince Bede, looking nothing like kin to the king with his silvery hair, lanky body and pale skin; which was true, Bede was found as a tot in the Glimwood Tangle using his elemental prowess to steal from the caravans when they camped in the dark woods. The king had adopted him as an heir, for as what most folk know was that an elemental kin to pokemon are the ones of noble blood in them.

Bede’s eyes were glowing bright magenta, the ends of his robe was flowing behind him as the guards and Leon were suddenly slammed up against the wall by an invisible force. It nearly knocked the air right out of Leon, causing him to gasp for breath and bede looked over at him, the psychokinetic energy flaring and sparking from his eyes.

“Champion,” he spat, not really addressing him further, the glow dispersed from Bede’s eye’s back into the normal white and violet flooding back into his irises. The force dropped Leon and the guards to the ground, back in control as the prince stormed off away from them down the hallway. 

Leon picked himself back up, helping the guard next to him as Oleana came storming after the prince from her chambers. The heir to the throne was one the knights referred to as a brat, but to Leon the prince always looked a little sad to him, despite his shit eating grins and overly confident smiles, there was something else that the heir exuded underneath. Either that or Leon was projecting his brother onto the prince, something he’s been guilty of with his squires too many times to count.

  
  


* * *

  
  


The day of the tournament drew in clearer weather, the wind whipped all around still, pulling at Hulbury’s banners and flags. The sea breeze was never as strong either which was good, the Hulbury stadium was placed on the seashore, the stadium flooded a lot and really brought in the element of water through the channels built in to let the sea flow in during high tide. It was why Leon was going in battle today with his seismitoad, the advantage was something he was not going to squander.

The wind still howled through the stadium, along with it the crowded cheers of the townsfolk cheering for Nessa’s victory, it was almost bloodthirsty. Leon was awaiting in the wings, soldiers marched around, and Leon could feel that odd tingle from the ocean hum to him. As the king was seated at his perch though, a familiar figure was walking towards him and grabbing his arm. 

Blue eyes peered at Leon, sharp and light with fire.

“I forgive you for the way you spoke at me before,” Nessa said, the tone in her voice low and brewing with determination, “but I hope you forgive me for venting out the rest of my frustrations today.”

Leon nodded, “I understand, I still mean it by the way,” he grabbed her hand, “I never meant to hurt you or my partners, I don’t want to worry anyone with any ill intentions towards myself any time soon.”

Nessa nodded, her chainmail moving as she cup’s Leon’s face with her palm, “you can be quite daft about your emotions Leon, I understand that is difficult for you, but don’t ever push Sonia away.”

Those were the last private words spoken between them before the match began. The speaker for Nessa came out on the back of a milotic, it was a beautiful display as Nessa stepped out into the stadium behind her, drednaw in tow, not garnishing any armor for the battle. Nessa was in lighter armor, the kind that framed her body, but it was not for appeal, it was for agility, it was what knights and squires wore in Hulbury.

Leon was then presented out, seismitoad in tow, dressed in her own armor this time, he was not sure what Nessa had up her sleeve for this battle, but he knew he was going to have to fight for his standing at a win. He could feel the palpable energy, it was thicker than when he battled Milo, whether it was from Nessa, the crowd or the sea he could not tell where it drew from. As they shook arms out of respect at the center, drawing back, back to their own sides, a drumbeat began to thud into the orchestra. 

Then the horn called and everything went undertow, Nessa was the first one calling the shots and her voice rang out loud, firm and unwavering.

“Surf! Flood the stadium!” 

The water poured in from the open channels, the water level, which only hit the ankles on Leon’s feet began to grow as drednaw let out a loud wail. The first wave rolled in from the sea, it waked over the stadium and gushed in from the channels, crashing into the stadium and the crowd was screaming for it. Gushing in quickly, ready to flood up high, there was a reason the viewing stands were higher in Hulbury than the ones from the other towns and cities or why Nessa was known as a master of pulling the tide to her will like a god.

This means it would be harder to knock her down and fight, so Leon made sweeping gesture at his seismitoad as the water drew up to his thighs at a quick pace, “ice punch on the surface!”

Seismitoad followed through with the move, a blast of icy cold energy frosts up in her fist as she aims down at the ground. Leon it with his seismitoad as she punches a slab of ice out onto the water, jumping in time so his feet would not get fused to the ice floe. The water rises high and Ness is nowhere to be seen, during their move to get an ice floe Nessa and her drednaw disappeared below the drink. 

“Seismitoad, stay in the water and use screech at full capacity down into the water to drive them out,” he directs, digging his heels into the ice to keep balance in the rocking waves. The water was dark and thick, almost black with mud, as if Nessa was trying to block them out at the bottom of the stadium turned ocean. 

Seismitoad sank down into the muddy water, Leon took out his sword and planted it into the ice floe, stabilizing himself as he felt the rumbling below the water build. Keeping his hands wrapped around the hilt of his sword, the vibrations of seimitoad’s screech shook the water, making violent waves to whip up and hit the ice floe, knocking it back towards the stadium wall. That was when everything started to shift, the center of the stadium began to shift and swirl, water being pulled and sucked down to the center, Leon caught a glimpse of his seismitoad sucked into it. At the center, controlling the whirlpool, Nessa rose, standing on the back of her drednaw, water dripping off of her frame and brilliant blue eyes sharp with pride. Leon could hear Sonia howling from the stadium, he can never miss the way she screamed when she viewed battles.

Leon’s eyes were focused on his seismitoad as the ice floe got pulled in towards the center, Nessa unsheathed her sword and began to hit the surface of her shield at Leon. A perfect trap, he was sure she was going to break his ice floe by her whirlpool, so he had to be quick on his feet. A gush of the ocean water sprayed up in his face and Leon heard the whispers, they crawled up on his skin and latched onto his body.

_ “Leon ...Leon…” _

There was something about how it all came up onto him, like a build up that made everything slow down and zero into focus. The water droplets on his gloved hand, the way the edges of the ice floe ebbed and chipped away into the ongoing swill of water. His seismitoad getting a grip in the water, an extension of himself his partner was, she seemed to reel in as he made eye contact with her obsidian gaze in the water. In one clean motion, Leon grasps and pulls the sword out from the floe, splitting the rest of the ice in half down the center. For a moment his feet felt like they were airborne as he slides onto the thinner half of the ice floe, knocking out of the whirlpool and going for the stadium wall. Going at full speed, Leon swings up and runs against the wall, finding his seismitoad beneath him in the water, riding along the wall as Leon kept his velocity, pushing his muscles even though they screamed. The minute he hit water Nessa will prey on him.

“Sludge wave lets go!” 

As soon as the order was yelled, Leon felt his bones screaming to give up, that was when he slung his shield out and used it as a float on top of the water. He manages to grab onto his seismitoad as she began to howl and a rippling ooze began to excrete from her pores. Seismitoad overtook the tide, the audience is rumbling with energy as seismitoad whips around, Leon holding on for dear life on his shield as she washes a new wave over the stadium. The poison is noxious to most, most meaning everyone except for Leon, poison never affected him, so when a splash of it landed on his armor he was unphased. The smell of it, it was toxic, but it reminded him of the azaleas his mother planted by their doorstep, the kind they seldom to never let their lilipups and yampers eat them. That was the thing about poison, it shows itself in different ways.

It turns the water pure purple, slick and vicious with a haze coming out of it, washing over Nessa and her drednaw. It affects drednaw enough to get the whirlpool to stop, the wave of sludge and poison knocking them back into the wall.Then drednaw cries out and Nessa is ordering him to use muddy water and Leon is quick to the take.

“Power whip now!” he screams at the top of his lungs, and he feels the sizzling raw burst of energy and movement as seismitoad moves forward, arms glowing bright green and rushing up to the other side of the stadium. The water quakes and shakes, more murky water being brought up as seismitoad hits drednaw, interrupting the move and causing Nessa to hit the toxic water. Leon let go of seismitoad, riding out the waves away from the scene and holding onto the edge of his shield to keep from dropping into the water. Nessa seemed to be having a bad time as is in the water, but her strong arms were moving through the water as she calls out orders to drednaw.

“Ice beam!”

Seismitoad didn’t have time to get out of the way, Leon watches in frustration when drednaw pulls the move fast, blasting a line of ice across the stadium and icing over seismitoad to the side of the stadium. Seismitoad was in a thick ice, trapped for now, “ prep up a scald”

He knew it would take more time for that to word for now, but right now he made eye contact with Nessa as she swam up to the catwalk of ice. Leon sticks his sword into the ice and pulls himself up onto it right as Nessa pulled herself up and out from the water. Drednaw swam under the ice and around the stadium like a threat as Leon retrieved his shield from the water and slid it back onto his arm, ripping the sword out from the ice as well and wielding it. Nessa composed herself, the people were cheering and humming the song from Hulbury, just like in Turffield.

_ “The tide will take you!” _

_ “The coral will break you!” _

_ “In this sea of mine!” _

_ “We’ll harbour no ill will, but remember you see,” _

_ “For we are the wake that will sail into the eye!” _

Nessa called her drednaw to back off as she advanced towards Leon down the narrow line of ice, her sword drawn out and banging it against her shield in a manner that was intimidating. Leon met the challenge, pulling up his shield at the ready and keeping his sword drawn. Nessa charged at him, her sword coming in hot in a downward strike, he blocked it with his shield and pushed her back, the ice and water helping him in making her slide back. She came back at him again, quick and fast, striking like a snake, their blades clashed and shields were drawn high, it was a fight of swords play. 

_ “The tide the tide, bring in the tide.” _

_ “Everyday our people play, but the tide the tide…” _

_ “The tide brings in o’horse’s? Nay.” _

_ “Ladies of the water drenched to the bone.” _

Feet pounded against the stands, roaring and rumbling with the lyrics as they slow down into a haunting song. Their blades clashed and Leon got caught in a lock with Nessa, she was smiling though, sweat and poison dripping off of her brow and locks, drenched….

Leon took the opportunity to use his upper body strength and pushes Nessa back, she slid down the ice farther than he did. Slipping, Leon changes, he was more pinpoint focused on Nessa as he swung his sword and shoved her with all his force all the way back into the water. Behind him the hissing steam of seismitoad’s scald came through, hot water bursting over the ice and melting it on contact. The ice buckled under Leon’s feet, Nessa was giving orders for a dive up into the undercarriage of the ice walk. 

“Seismitoad in the water come here!” Leon called out as seismitoad burst out and followed through orders, zipping into the water towards him. Leon saw the dark movement below the water, barely making it out as drednaw dove up and broke up the ice. Almost falling back into the water, Leon’s seismitoad caught him in her arms. Leon sheathed his sword and clambered up onto seismitoad’s back, pulling his shield up to protect themselves ice cascaded down from the sky. Chunks of ice hit off the top of the shield, bouncing into the water below them, Nessa disappeared down into the water below on drednaw’s back.

“Gain some speed in the water and use bounce off of the ice to get some height, while we’re airborne charge up a hyper beam so we can clear the water out,” he spoke lowly to his seismitoad.

She made a grunt of acknowledgment to Leon, he made a quick save by grasping on tight to seismitoad as she started to move quickly through the water. Leon held on tight around her neck, using the bumps on her back as footing like what she’s used to when they practiced. Her back legs picked up speed in the water, Leon prayed to Arceus to stay on as she jumped out of the water and used a large slab of ice to bounce up high above the stadium. It was a moment of being in flight, everything was in focus below them, Leon’s legs flew up with the motion, he’ll never get used to this in mid fight with his pokemon. Feeling the wind in his face, everyone below him, cheering and whalloping around down there.

Then there was the smell of ozone and pure raw energy as seismitoad built up her hyperbeam, Leon helped her stiffening body angle right as bounce began it’s fall back down towards the stadium. The wind slashed and whipped all around them, seismitoad’s hyperbeam was flashing near the end of it’s peak, they were zooming down towards the water in a blur. Leon let go right before seismitoad hit the water, the splash geysering up before a flash of pure blinding white light sizzles and gushes the water out. The water spouted up from the stadium, turning into a wall of muddy and toxic water and ice as it gushes up, creating a circle of white as the water is forced out of the stadium and heated mist rises up. Leon landed on his partner’s stomach, her body temporarily stalled, he bounces off of her and hits the muddy sand on the ground feeling the reverb hit up into his skull for a moment. Hot steam and mist coated over the field as Leon looked around, gathering his bearings, ready to strike and protect, not seeing head or tail of Nessa nor her drednaw. 

Then the ground warped beneath him and buckled as a burst of wet sand and dirt bursts up from the ground. Nessa, covered in sand, hung onto her drednaw by it’s hawked horn, covered in sand and mud and drednaw let out a blood curdling scream. The audience were off their seats, cheering and chanting for Nessa, she flicked her hair back and called out the next move.

“Revenge now!”

Leon panicked, seismitoad was still recovering on the ground behind him, he’s going to have to stall. Without much thought put into the plan, he held up his shield and ran towards drednaw as Nessa rode on it’s back. Kicking up sopping wet mud, Leon accidentally scuffed the sand directly into drednaw’s eyes as the pokemon glew red. Then all hell broke loose. Drednaw started bucking and letting out revenge over the stadium, Nessa was tossed off of drednaw’s back as the pokemon rampaged. It stomped against the ground, threw its head around and Nessa was on her feet trying to calm her partner’s temporary blindness. 

Dreanaw’s body whipped around and Leon was quick to pull Nessa out of harm’s way, dragging her through the sand away from drednaw. They held hands and ran around the stadium to get out of drednaws way until seismitoad began to stir back up again.

“Seismitoad, use bubble beam on dreadnaw’s eyes!” Leon ordered quickly as seismitoad got up.

Seismitoad got up and made haste, a streamline of bubbles pelting out from her mouth at drednaw, clearing up the sand. But apparently, that was enough for Nessa’s drednaw, as soon as the poor creature’s eyes were cleared, it gave out one last cry and fainted on the field. Breathing hard and heavy, Leon felt a mix of relief and dread, this was no way to end a battle, Nessa knew it too, but that did not stop them from hugging each other tight enough to make breathing difficult. At the end of the day no one was too badly hurt and that was what counts.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy weekend y'all! Hope you guys enjoyed this one! Please leave me a comment and let me know what you thought of this chapter!


	8. Hulbury Celebrations

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> “It’s an old wives tale,” the old lady’s voice croaked, like that of a frog, but her voice demanded attention that Leon was privy to listen to. She smiled at him and flexed her grip on the net, flashing a toothy smile.

“Leon look! Wishmakers from Hoenn!” 

Sonia was excitedly hopping around on the streets of Hulbury, her petticoats puffed out under the wind as children ran by with sparkling toys and trinkets. The Hulbury emblem was painted over every inch of the city, their festival after the tournaments well under way and only growing larger by the minute. This time, Leon was not hurried back to the manor, instead Nessa and Sonia accompanied him into the festivities after Nessa had publicly invited him to celebrate after the battle. 

Although first they did have to stop by a tavern to use their baths and scrub all the sand from their crevices. Nessa had helped Leon scrub the sand out from behind his ears and he had returned the favor for conditioning her hair in the bath in a way that got the sand out and wont let her hair break. It was a more personal thing, they had gotten the baths to themselves and although they were not as luxurious as the castles, it still did the trick. 

He trusted Nessa, she’s known about Leon’s bare truth, the first time she realized he was not endowed like most men it was on pure accident a year ago when Sonia and her visited Wyndon. It was more an accident of Leon walking into the baths without getting a maid to clear the premise and Nessa had been in there. She was not shocked, that was something Leon always remembered, but instead she grinned and said.  
_“It’s always nice to see men in different varieties.”_

It was a secret between them, someone else outside of his mother, the king, Oleana and Sonia that knew, but only Sonia was aware of Nessa’s information. There’s something delightful in having a secret that someone knows outside of the group of folk that already are on the same page with it. It’s the one thing he can entrust in Nessa.

Sonia was talking with the store owner with the wishmakers on display, she was attentive listening to the man tell her about how the wishmakers are a novelty right now until next year when the comet comes. It was some sort of obvious way to sell off the wishmakers, but Sonia bought one anyways, producing the coins out from her pouch. Neither Leon or Nessa could stop her from doing this when she was happily tucking the wishmaker down into her dress.

Down on the docks they stopped by the fishing games, Nessa catching heavy weight arrokuda and earning a colorful bright sea green bracelet from the old woman who told Nessa:  _ “the strongest women always have the more bountiful catch.” _ Leon swore he saw the old woman’s beady eyes look over at Sonia when she said that, the red headed lady too busy with trying to bare arm a magikarp out. Leon did not partake in the fishing excursion, as they walked down to the lighthouse at the end of the city he can finally see the sky clear up and the smell of the sweet sea wafted into him. It was the salt, the way it perfumed the air along with another smell, one that reminded him of home with his grandmother, it was kind of too much.

“You two go on up,” Leon stated when they made it to the lighthouse, Sonia holding onto Nessa’s arm.

Sonia gave a concerned look and Leon followed up with, “I’m just going to star gaze from here, dont worry about it.”

Sonia nodded, and Nessa gave Leon a confirming look before the two wedded wives went up into the lighthouse.

Leon wandered around the open area, kicking up rocks at the edge at the end of the land, watching the water spit up against the rocks and swallow the ones he kicked out. Sitting down to watch the water lap up, he thinks about his grandmother and this town she’s from.

There was never a deep story to it, but it was always the same. A talented fishnet weaver seduced away to the countryside by his grandfather, a simple love story, one Leon always thought was romantic as a kid. His grandfather said that he never needed to see the sea again because his grandmother brought it with her, and to his knowledge that was true enough… He never remembers him traveling to Hulbury, not when grandmother died nor when their anniversaries came up. His grandfather rarely came up in conversation, he became mute after grandmother passed, even then he still was never a big story teller. 

Closing his eyes and inhaling deeply, Leon took himself back into his family's little cottage in Postwick, sitting upon the knoted rug. 

_ His grandmother, old and withered looking like a beloved leather bound book, leaned in close to him from her chair. _

_ “I was always a woman of the sea, Hulbury was my true stomping grounds, I’d knot nets all day down at the docks, I’d even go out sailing with the sailors and learned how to read the currents! They’d say, ‘Aerwyna, you do too much for a girl your age, when will you ever settle?’ And you know Lee, I was perfectly fine with never being wed! Oh I was so beautiful and talented, men would propose to me three times a day!” _

_ Leon leaned in towards his grandmother with a wide mouth and a giggling face, “but gran, you married pa!” _

_ His grandmother scrunched up her face, multiplying the wrinkles on her visage, “that is true Lee, but here is the thing.” _

_ She grew quiet, leaning in to Leon, voice hushed in a whisper, her voice crackling with a fascinating sort of emotion. _

_ “He never proposed.” _

_ Leon gasped, his small hands moving up to cup his face, “but you wear the ring! I know you do!” _

_ “Ah yea! That’s because I proposed to him, you need to be patient now you little mantyke, you see your pa would come down to the docks and he would leave me azaleas and foxgloves. Proper flowers, the kind that should not be blooming in the winter mind you! He was never much of a talker, but his flowers always were in full bloom and that’s how he got me! I followed him up the dock one day and said; “where the bloody hell are you getting all that foliage from? It’s hells winter out here and you keep showing up with these beauties!” Now Lee, your pa is a clever man. He said he would tell me if I went on an outing with him, as a curious lady I accepted. I never learned how he did it, but a clever man he is.” _

Then he was back at the ocean, the smell of azaleas and foxgloves in the air, the sound of a neigh rose up from the distance as another wave roars and crashes into the rocks. Inhaling the air, feeling the thick muggy air work it’s way up his arms and into his veins, making its home in him. Leon shifted on the ground a moment, stared out into the dark depths of ocean water when he heard the familiar hum of singing. Off to the side of the lighthouse a fond looking group of elder women were singing the Hulbury song, agile fingers working in knots into the fishing net they weaved. 

Leon got up, drawn by the sound and their activity to hover close and watch the procedure, it reminded him of the woven projects his mother hung in her room. Thick hemp cords, twisted and knoted into a large net, there were five women all working on it. The eldest held the end taunt to her chest while two of them tied and the other’s helped keep the hemp straight and tidied, from smoothing out the new knots to fixing and braiding in new ones. 

“Aye lad, staring is for freeloaders, can you knot?” one of the women barked out at Leon, her voice coarse, but her eyes twinkling in the torchlight like diamonds.

“Uh, yes actually I can,” Leon replied, a little nervous because he has not done knoting since his grandmother passed five years ago. But soon without hesitation, one of the women knoting the net grabbed him by the arm and handed him the hemp cording. It took a few times of practice before he was weaving his fingers around the strands and twisting them into knots and ties.

One of the other knotting women nodded at his hands, “those are old knots boy, who taught you to do that?”

“My grandmother, she hails from Hulbury,” he replies, using his teeth to tighten a knot that he made a little too loose. His fingers were getting back into the motion memory of it, he’s never had more than just him and his grandmother making bracelets or necklaces. One time he helped her with a net as a child, but that was to keep the crops from getting damaged in an oncoming storm.

“Hah! Well isn’t that a surprise! The champion’s blood is kin to the Hulbury folk!” one of the ladies working on the fixings said, “tell me youngling, did your gran ever tell you why we make nets?”

Leon found himself shaking his head, “I don’t believe so.”

The women howled with giggles, the eldest holding the net straight cleared her throat before speaking.

“It’s an old wives tale,” the old lady’s voice croaked, like that of a frog, but her voice demanded attention that Leon was privy to listen to. She smiled at him and flexed her grip on the net, flashing a toothy smile.

“Ah, it was possibly centuries ago, but the fish began to disappear from our shores, going out on the boats to sea with nothing but poles and pokemon was not bringing in enough for Hulbury. So, one day a kelpie cam ashore and taught all the women how to knot the ropes.”

“Kelpies?” Leon asked, brows furrowed.

One of the women elbowed him in a cheery manner, “didn’t your gran ever tell you about kelpies? Oh poor boy, every woman from Hulbury to any of the great lakes will tell ya to be wary of the fae that live in the ocean!”

“Oh Melinda please go easy on the lad, there’s no great sea or water in Wyndon,” another lady pipped up.

The elder woman continued as the women squabble, “but there was a price to pay, in return for teaching us women to make these nets, one of the women had to give up her husband to the kelpie. It was that or a first born babe of the year, so one of the women, old and brittle, brought her husband to the sea. She fed him well with bread and dressed him up in his best outfit and sent him out to sea, never to be seen again.”

“That’s...a very sad ending,” Leon said slowly, not wanting to offend the oldwoman’s tale.

“A lot of tales end that way dearie, but the ending is not all that bad lad, we’re still here after all and our ending is not finished yet.”

* * *

  
  
  


Leon rode with Nessa and Sonia back to azure manor in the carriages, they departed from the festivities early when Sonia drank too much to the point of throwing up her bile out into the ocean. Nessa and him held a quiet conversation on their way back while Sonia dozed off on Nessa’s shoulder. The carriage smelled a little bit like bile, but it was a short ride and Leon was happy to help Sonia out of the carriage with Nessa, half carrying the ill redhead out onto the cobblestones and into the manor. Nessa took Sonia from there, thanking Leon for the help and slowly climbing up the manor steps to their bed chambers. 

Leon was not yet ready to sleep, the energy from the festivities and battle wore him down, but kept the back of his head buzzing with the alcohol he had. He knew they were leaving tomorrow afternoon for Motostoke, but he was a little hyped up and eager to go find something to keep him busy.

Then there was a loud caterwauling of laughter coming from the grand dining hall and Leon found himself checking it out, walking in to a group of strangers he’s never met before. The dining hall was filled with a group of brawly looking men and women, a keg of ale and mead was being passed around while women with under shaven hair and unruly clothes arm wrestled men ten times their size. It reeked of muk and the sharp taste of alcohol, and at the forefront head of the table was Piers, clinking a pint of ale and whooping and hollering with these people in a congenial manner. Pier’s bright gaze caught Leon’s and he was slamming his glass down on the table.

“Champion! Come have a drink!” He hollered and that was when the eyes of all the other folk in the dining hall beamed at him. There was suddenly too many voices talking at once, or rather, yelling, goading Leon to have a pint. Somewhere between the friendly laughing and yodeling, Leon found himself seated next to Piers with a full mug of mead and clacking their cups together. 

From there the night only grew longer.

Leon could not for the life of him, remember how much they made him drink, but he knew it was enough to slur his words and Piers was holding onto his forearm tightly, but it wasn’t an unwelcomed touch.

“These are my folks from Spikemunth,” Piers explained in a sloppy manner, looking less poised than Leon has ever seen him, “we call em Yellers, cause that’s all y’all are ever good for!”

At that the table and room shook with violent banging of fists on the table and feet stomping. They were hollering loudly and proudly, many of them were saying, “that’s right and we’re the BEST!” to “and dont you fuckin forget it!” 

There was so much going on while Piers was squeezing Leon’s arm and getting him to drink more with him, a portly man next to Leon wanted Leon to arm wrestle, a shapely woman came by to braid his hair- there was too much going on at once and Leon felt himself saying yes a lot while his head sloshed with thoughts going every which way. His balance was way off when he stood up, wait why was he standing? Then they were stumbling against the brick walls, walking out into the back courtyard with mugs of ale, where are we going?

Piers kept his hand on Leon, and he was not sure if he was balancing against Piers or if Piers was balancing against him. The sound of the tide hitting the coast fllled his ears, it was dark out, but they kept laughing and running over the cool grass, someone fell over a rock and Leon snorted loud enough to sound like a spoink in heat. Breathless and fleeting, he drank the rest of his mug and somehow ended up with another full one.

The party kept going, they were sneaking around the back of the manor to the festival, cobblestones wet with perspiration and Piers holding onto Leon, wait wasn;t he supposed to be spying on him? What’s going on again?

“I need to watch you,” Leon managed to garble to Piers, the torchlight from the lamp posts made Piers look clear to Leon. As clear as he ever saw him, right to the fine details on Pier’s long lashes that were tipped white and became pitch at the root. Makeup that colored his lids were patchy now, he looked very disheveled, Leon never seen Piers look like such, but it was an attractive look on the man.

His piercing lightning blue eyes caught Leon’s gaze, a small smirk going over his mouth, “then keep watchin’ me,” Piers replied, his grip squeezing Leon’s arm. 

“Keep watchin me and see where it gets ya pretty boy.”

* * *

  
  
  


The morning ran red and gold in Leon’s eyes when he woke up, it was almost too blinding for him to deal with as he rolled over with a firm groan. Sheets, deep black and dyed covered his body and that was when Leon was realizing that he was not in his bed. Thoughts trying to bring themselves back together, piece by piece and bit by bit, trying to traverse back to what happened the night before. Rolling over, Leon sucked in a sharp breath when he saw the bareback of a maiden next to him in bed, her long brunette hair mused over the pillows. Looking at himself quickly, Leon found most of his clothes still intact, no buckles undone, which was good. 

Sitting up he tried to suppress the pained noise that threatened to escape his mouth, clamping it shut as his head pounded. A small chuckle came from the room, and Leon’s eyes snapped to Piers lounging on a chair by the bedside table, looking disheveled and poised while he smokes a pipe. The feeling of the room shifts then, Piers was looking at Leon like he had been since they’ve last spoken, cold and unwilting. 

“Stay in bed, you don’t want to wake her, she had a rough night,” Peirs said, puffing out smoke from his mouth as he sets his pipe down.

“Did I…”

“No,” Piers confirmed in a knowing tone, “ she’s just insurance for the moment.”

Leon felt his blood grow clod and his body stiffen, Piers scoffed a little and got up from his spot, “don’t worry, I just need you to not go reporting back to Oleana anymore.”

He  _ knows _ .

“I admit it’s interesting to see that the interest in me has gone up considering how now the dear knight is also a spy. I know that they haven’t let you in on any other details so for the moment, I just need you to agree to stop shadowing me Leon. it’s unbecoming of you.”

“What if I say no?” He asked back, “you’re asking me to obey direct orders.”

“Then the poor maiden gets to go home and gossip about her night after she wakes to see your face being the one next to her, you are an icon after all here Leon. I bet Oleana will chew you up quicker than the king could swallow you for this one, political rubbish will make your life a lot harder for this one,” as Piers spoke, he walked over and sat on the bed next to Leon, the musk of the leaves from his pipe hanging around him as he looms over Leon. Pier’s hands moved to smooth out the front of Leon’s shirt, in a slow manner that drew a pull of breath from his lips.

Licking his lips, leon looked over to the slumbering girl, she was a commoner, he knew that, but even more so would it be worth the gossip? Gossip accounted more weight in the royal family, it was a weapon to be used, and as someone who is common born it might not backfire as much. But on the other hand, Leon was still representing the crowning kingdom in Galar, relationships were never a thing he thought he could have due to the weight they would be carried on him. Maybe that was why Raihan was someone dear yet restrained in his heart, someone he could not bring himself to drag into that spotlight where he could be targeted like Leon was as a kid. But because she was common...there was even more the possibilities of her being killed.

“I won’t spy on you anymore, but next time you talk to me instead of dragging other people into this,” Leon’s words came out hushed and rushed out of him in a way he did not like. Desperate and worried.

Piers gave him a small smile, “it goes deeper than you’ll ever know knight,” he said, and then Pier’s was pushed Leon down into the bed, straddling on top of him.

Leon was taken aback, not sure what was going on, the pressure of Pier’s hands on his shoulders was like steel, blue eyes beaming at him and then there was a rush of movement. Piers was pressing intense lips down onto Leon’s mouth, the way it came down on him was hard and harsh, and Leon felt his breath being stolen from him when he felt Pier’s tongue slip into his mouth and then-

Then Pier’s bit on his lip, right on the meat of his bottom lip enough to cut the flesh and Leon shoved Piers off of him and into the unconscious bare woman. Blood dribbled from Leon’s mouth as the woman woke up with a shriek, Piers was pulling away from the woman and back into Leon, Leon’s blood was smeared on Pier’s pale mouth. The woman stood up from the bed, eyes wild and panicked before landing on Leon and Piers. 

“You can leave now,” Piers said with a cold tone, tongue licking up the blood from his lips, “I suggest doing so soon.”

Then Pier’s hand slipped under Leon’s tunic for show, his eyes glanced down at Leon and back at the woman. Her face was flushed red as she grabbed her clothes and ran out of the room, enough time for Leon to punch Piers in the face, his knuckles cracked when he did it and it was enough to push Pier’s back off of him.

“Don’t you  _ ever _ treat me like that again,” Leon hissed, getting up from the bed, lip still bleeding as he checked the room for anything that might be his. 

“I am sorry about that,” Piers laughed from the bed, hands swiping at his own mouth, “you’re going to want to clean that!”

Those were the last words Leon heard before he stormed out of Pier’s bedchambers.

  
  


* * *

  
  


Leon was in the middle of packing when Sonia came into his bed chambers, hands on her hips and a strict look on her face.

“Leon Aera Dande,” she said, closing the door behind her, “do you want to explain why you were seen coming out of Pier’s chambers this morning?”

He paused when she said that, tying up his pack and sitting on the bed with a sigh, that was when Sonia stared at his split lip and ran towards him. Her hands grabbed his chin as she looked over his lip, frowning and shaking her head.

“This is no good, where the bloody fuck did this come from?” she pawed at him, concern painting her face as she sat down next to him.

Leon took in a deep breath, no pushing her away again, that did not end well the last time, so he unloaded what had happened last night after they came back from the festivities. The drinking, the people, everything up until the blackmail.

“Sonia, you have to promise none of this leaves us,” he said, voice hushed, “I’m not proud of this, but…”

“Lee,” she said softly, grabbing his hands and squeezing them in her own, “Lee I won’t spill a word, you’re practically my own blood, I swear.”

Leon took in a deep breath, his hands shook in Sonia’s grip, when was the last time he opened up to her? He can’t remember, too long and too forgotten. So he started from the beginning, the direct order of spying on Piers, the messages, the talk with the king, all of it. Even his messy explanation of how he was afraid of the woman this morning being killed if she ran out thinking he slept with her. Sonia sat by him, nodding and listening, never questioning or prying when he paused too long. She was always one to listen and learn, while also being bold and brave, so when Leon finished she pulled him towards her and held him.

“Oh Leon…” she said simply and with it came all of the tension, it rolled out of Leon as she rubbed his back and for once in a long long time, Leon felt at ease.

“I know,” he spoke quietly, his voice felt a little spent from talking about it so much.

“You really stepped in it,” she said and pinched his ear gently with her fingers, “this is dangerous waters you’re treading.”

“I know.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Heeeeeeeeeey.
> 
> I don't have much to say except to not write Piers off as a villain in any sense, I didn't want this chapter to come off as demonizing him because I love Piers tbh, a lot will make sense later
> 
> Leave me some comments down below for I am an instant gratification person and I love hearing all of your thoughts when I put a new chapter out, love y'all!
> 
> -Jasper
> 
> I have a fun tumblr where I sometimes reblog some of this fic's aesthetics or reblog ship pics, you can check it out here: https://euphoriawriter.tumblr.com/  
> And as always I have a twitter @Jaspersright

**Author's Note:**

> Heya, leave me some comments and let me know what y'all think!  
> -Jasper


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